Shadows of the Next Generation
by RurikoTsukuyomi
Summary: As the next generation of villains and heroes arrives, the world's fate is plunged into mystery and chaos once again! OC SUBMISSION CLOSED. Rated to be safe! SEQUEL TO SHADOWS OF HEROES.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to **_**Shadows of the Next Generation**_**! If you have NOT read **_**Shadows of Heroes**_** do not read any further and be sure to read that first or this will make no sense at all!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I only own the OCs used in the beginning of this chapter. (I don't wanna say their names just yet. ;D)**

**WARNINGS: Violence, adult themes, blood, gore, and swearing.**

**A/N: The beginning of this is in Kaoru's POV. Not telling you who he is quite yet, though. :) P.S Beware of long, but super important A/N at the end!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter One: **The Top Secret Mission. Meeting the Family.**

_Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock…_ There was a sigh from the darkness and my boots shifted on the ground, the sound of dirt crunching followed and I let my lilac eyes shift through the dark before locking back straight ahead. It was eerily silent, except for that annoying clock over the doorway.

_Tick… Tock… Tick…_ I jerked my head up, staring at the ticking hands. A dark purple thread slithered off my index finger and shot up, smashing the glass and knocking the clock to the floor with a _crunch_. For some reason, I felt sad for doing it as the clock gave a final tick.

_Ticcck-shing…_

_CRUNCH._

My eyes flickered as a shoe stomped on the clock. My eyes traveled along a black cloak, patterned with red clouds before meeting an orange, swirled mask. The thread from my finger, which had been hovering like a snake for a moment, shot back into place, settling on my skin almost like a tattoo, but much more painful and permanent.

"You shouldn't break things that aren't yours." The man's calm voice scolded, pushing off the face of the busted clock and stepping over it. I lowered my eyes.

"Sorry." I replied quietly. There was a sigh before the man tilted his head to look the other way.

"You made sure you weren't followed?" He asked. I nodded and he reached up, cupping a hand over his mask and taking it off to reveal his face and a pair of dangerous red eyes that glowed in the darkness of the cavern.

"That's a good boy," He told me, putting on a fake smile that seemed almost sinister, "I hope you've trained hard. I've been patient long enough. I'm sure twelve years has given you plenty of time."

"Yea."

"Konohagakure. They've had peace since the attack by Kuromura Kotaro. Only small attacks sent by the Land of Rivers, but of course, they'll be silenced when I'm finished with them… Go to Konohagakure, but mind you, you're not staying there for long. Just stick around, take a report on what's going on over there. Be sure to have a story ready. You're a creative boy, right, Kaoru?" Uchiha Madara asked, cocking his head to the side, as if to dare me to disagree.

"Very." Was my obedient response. Madara nodded, rubbed the inside of his mask with a sigh.

"This façade is starting to annoy me… Be sure to find her, by the way. Itachi's girl… Or, rather, woman now. She's probably all grown up. I guess you can make some friends with your cousins while you're there." He shrugged. I frowned, clenching my fists in the pockets of my gray jacket, that hung to my knees in a baggy fashion.

"Yea, right… I don't need any." I replied and waited to see if he'd scold me, but he smiled and that had me relieved.

"Of course not. Akatsuki's the only home you need… It's going to be a bit lonely, but I'm sure we'll deal. Be cautious and don't get yourself killed, all right? I don't want to send someone out for your body to retrieve it." Madara explained. I shrugged and looked at him past my slate hair.

"It's fine. If by some miracle I do, I'll burn myself up." I answered. Madara smirked, but it looked unnerved despite my assurance and he nodded, gesturing toward the exit.

"All right, Kaoru. I'll see you when you get back… Don't betray me or I'll have to see to it that you're punished."

"Yea, I know. I have no reason to anyway." I said and turned my back to him, heading for the exit. I could hear him replace the mask and faintly mutter something, but I was out of ear shot and figured it was a good thing I couldn't hear him. He never really had anything nice to say anyway.

Stepping out into the moonlight, I glanced up at the millions of stars dotting the sky before I took off into the forest of trees, surrounding the 'abandoned' temple behind the sheer cliff of the shore.

Find my cousins, do a report, come home, work some more. Sounds pretty easy to me.

**Konohagakure (Ruriko Tsukuyomi)**

_Tmp, tmp, tmp, tmp, tmp._ I listened to the sound of dark ninja shoes tromping on a tree branch nearby and my eyes narrowed as I ducked low on the perch that jutted into the trees from a memorial at the training grounds. My black jacket hung around me and over the edge of the perch, my sleeves billowing around my elbows. The breeze of the spring afternoon brushed through the fishnet legs of my pants and the belly part of my shirt.

_Shing!_ I slid back out of the way to avoid the kunai that shot through the leaves, slicing several apart as well as a black butterfly. I blinked as the wings fluttered in front of my face.

"Heads up!" A voice yelled. I smirked and jerked my head up, swinging my hand up to block the kunai attack that slammed into the metal brace around the wrist of my fishnet gloves. A pair of adorable cloudy gray eyes stared at me in surprise at my speed before I twisted my hand around and caught his wrist, squeezing and making him yelp and drop the kunai.

"Too slow." I stated and tore him down on the tree branch that hung out beneath my perch. Despite my attack, I did it as gently as I could as I didn't want to hurt him, no matter how strong I wanted him to get.

I think that was one thing my son didn't like about me. My going easy on him, which was why he was better training with Itachi than me.

"I'm not finished yet!" He protested, jerking his head up to glare at me past the leaves. I smiled down at him, taking a moment to take in his appearance. He was almost an exact copy of Itachi, save for his eyes. My son, my little Mitsuru was twelve-years-old and seemed to have inherited my small height. His hair was the same black as mine, but almost as long as Itachi's was at that age. He wore a gray shirt with an inverted collar that became a black hood, matching elbow pads and kneepads, his shorts dark gray with sewn slits in the sides. He proudly wore his headband around his waist.

He leapt up at me, this time his gray eyes glowing red with the Kekkei Genkai he got from his father, Sharingan. I leapt back, back flipping before I landed on my hunches, catching Mitsuru's fist to jerk it away from its path to my face. He went to punch me in the gut, but I swung my foot up and kicked it away. He swung his foot out, knocking me back. He went to attack me again, but I caught his fist.

"Mitsuru, some people use their heads… And you use…?" My voice trailed. Mitsuru smirked in my face.

"My teeth." He filled in and lunged in, biting down on my arm. I winced as his sharp canines dug into my flesh, piercing it. I jerked my arm down, just barely managing to escape his teeth and swinging my other arm around, getting him in a headlock.

"Argh, damn it! Mom!"

"Sorry, honey. That's all for today."

"Hmph." Mitsuru pouted after I let him go and hopped down to the ground, glancing up at him with a closed eye smile.

"Don't make that face. Come on. Your dad's probably got lunch ready and you still need to meet up with Shisui. You promised you'd go with him to the hot springs." I pointed out. I always wanted Mitsuru to stick by his word, especially to his cousin. Shisui was a good kid, unlike his father. He was always happy and reminded me of Naruto sometimes…

I felt a pang of annoyance as I managed to smile, Mitsuru hopping down beside me before we headed to the village.

Uzumaki Naruto. Konohagakure's number one knucklehead ninja. Not only my boss, but now Konohagakure's Sixth Hokage. He was doing a great job, that was for sure. The village had been at peace ever since he'd become Hokage. No drama, no war. Naruto also kept up public appearance, showing up in town to shop for books and movies.

Most people are making a fuss that Naruto had yet to find a wife, but that didn't seem to concern him. He had become the next 'Pervy Sage' as he frequently bought a familiar series written by the legendary Sanin, Jiraiya, as well as joining the old man to peek into the bathhouses.

Yea. Great Sixth Hokage.

Comforting music filled the air as we entered the busier parts of the village. It was average and sounded like drums and a flute. People were swaying to the music as they shopped or sat down for lunch. Mitsuru stayed by my side, like he always did. Mitsuru was a pretty obedient son. He always stayed by me and didn't care if people called him a mama's boy or anything. He was so cute~

"Oh, mom," Mitsuru began, sounding a bit nervous, which probably meant something bad was coming along, "You know the window in the pantry? The one with blue and red paint on it?"

"Yea…?"

"… Haruke broke it." He replied, as if he easily come up with a reason to suddenly regain confidence. Either he was telling the truth somewhat or he had broken it in an attempt to attack his brother, which would only get him in more trouble. I sighed, rubbing my forehead.

"Why do you guys always fight? I told you to ignore everything Haruke says that bothers you. He's just trying to get a rise out of you." I scolded. Even I knew it was true that Haruke was a bit of a brat. I didn't quite know where he got it from. He always spoke his mind, whether it was awkward or hurt someone's feelings. He'd even talk back to Itachi and I, which was pretty aggravating.

"It wasn't my fault! He was playing with those weird… Voodoo doll things…" Mitsuru muttered. I frowned.

"He wasn't making one of you, was he? I told him to destroy the last one he made. He almost broke Miwa's wrist with one of them." I grumbled. My youngest and only daughter, Miwa, was pretty rambunctious for her age and completely different from her twin brother, Manabu, who was more shy and timid. Really, I had so much trouble trying to control Miwa and Haruke that it was unbelievable. They fought a lot more than Mitsuru and Haruke, except Miwa was the one to make it violent.

What bothered me was that they would dare attack Haruke after Itachi's set rules. What broke both of our hearts was Haruke had an odd disease that Akira and Lady Tsunade called CIPA, or Congenital Insensitivity to Pain. His sensory nerves weren't connected to the part of his brain that could recognize pain, so he was technically unable to feel any kind of pain or even sweat or tell the temperature. This was particularly dangerous as a shinobi because he could contract an illness or even a mortal wound without even knowing it.

He'd gotten a bad fever only months before and the only reason we found out was the weekly doctor's visits and the fact that his cheeks had turned red. He was a real pain because he took advantage of his disability and pushes people to their limits until they can't stand his criticism and was finally beaten up.

"Don't hit your brother," I said at last as we turned onto the street toward our home, "Ignore everything he says. If he makes one of those silly dolls, tell your dad or I and we'll deal with him, understood?"

"Yea, whatever." Mitsuru pouted, but it fell away when I saw someone standing in front of our house, leaning on the wall just outside. I 'tsked' in annoyance.

Uchiha Sasuke. He was not only the leader of the Uchiha Clan, but now the obnoxious leader of the Police Force, which also included my department of Criminal Investigation.

He confidently wore a Jounin vest over a navy turtleneck, black pants with white diamonds trailing down the sides and a pair of ninja boots with no heel and shin guards.

"Ruriko." That was how he always greeted me. No, 'hello' or 'sister-in-law', it just my first name spat at me like a curse. I rolled my eyes and patted Mitsuru on the back, stopping just a couple feet in front of the door.

"Go on inside, Mitsuru. Tell your dad I'm gonna be a bit late for lunch." I told him. Mitsuru frowned a bit uncomfortably, giving Sasuke an uneasy look before nodding and going inside the house. I sighed and turned to Sasuke, folding my arms over my chest.

"All right, what'd you want now? I completed all today's missions, so it better not be that I skipped." I retorted. Sasuke frowned and pushed off the wall, his arms dropping to his sides.

"No. Not exactly. It's about a mission that Naruto's sending us; meaning the Uchiha clan, on. It's pretty big to send our platoon there."

"I'll say. If it means that both Itachi and I have to go, the kid's be alone, but I'm sure that's no problem on your part." I muttered. Sasuke's eyes seemed to glow hatefully, his teeth obviously gritted behind his closed mouth. Sasuke's divorce with Sakura a couple years prior was a touchy subject as it was mostly Sasuke's fault that Sakura left him. They'd kept up a good relationship and had two lovely sons, but Sakura couldn't stand Sasuke's attitude. Her fan girl act for him began to shatter and she eventually packed up her things and moved closer to the hospital, where she now taught some medical classes and became an official medical nin.

"Shisui can take care of himself and his brother just fine," Sasuke said stiffly before averting his eyes with a frown, "The mission is important. Naruto marked it as an A-rank as well as top secret. It's got to do with Akatsuki." My eyes flickered and I stared at him, tensing up. The dangerous criminal organization led by Uchiha Madara. I hadn't heard much about them, except the recent death of a Jinchuuriki somewhere in the east.

"All right," I sighed, "I'll let Itachi know and we'll meet at the office after lunch."

"Good. Don't take your time." Sasuke added and turned, heading to his house just two buildings down. I rolled my eyes and went inside, taking off my boots and setting them against the wall on the mat near the door. I heard chatter from the dining room, which meant they were already eating lunch.

Walking in, I was almost tackled by Manabu and Mitsuru.

"Mommy!" Manabu beamed at me and held onto my leg, snuggling his face close to me as I ruffled his grayish blue hair, smiling. Mitsuru hugged me before pointing at Haruke, who was sitting across from him.

"He tried to blame the broken window on me! Mom, I swear I didn't do anything! He threw one of his stupid dolls at me!" He protested. Haruke clenched his fists at the table, his dark blue eyes getting darker in annoyance.

"Oh, shut up, Mitsuru. You're such a tattletale." He huffed. This coming from a ten-year-old. Miwa stuck out her tongue at him, shutting her dark purple eyes.

"You be quiet, dummy!" She accused.

"Shut up, tomboy. You're not even in this." Haruke retorted.

"Haruke, that's enough," Itachi said, coming into the room with a bowl of noodles, "Miwa, you too. Don't taunt your brother."

"Hmph!" They looked pouted stubbornly, looking away from each other, but at least they stopped arguing. Manabu and Mitsuru went to sit down as I took a seat at one side of the long table set up on the floor for lunch; soba noodles, sliced fish, and onigiri.

"Sorry I'm late," I sighed, smiling apologetically at Itachi, who just nodded in my direction, "Sasuke wanted to talk to me about a mission that we need to attend to have lunch… Unfortunately, it's going to be a long one that includes us both so the house is-"

"All to ourselves," Miwa cheered, clapping her hands, "Yay! That means I can have friends over!"

"Miwa." Manabu whined and covered his face with his hands. Haruke smacked his forehead, then scowled at Miwa.

"Are you stupid? You don't yell that in front of the parents."

"You're stupid!" Miwa responded with a huff.

"So," Itachi cut in, giving both Haruke and Miwa another stern look before looking back at me, "Did he mention anything specific?" I frowned, twisting my noodles around my chopsticks before shrugging.

"It's top secret." I replied. Itachi's expression seemed to take on a distasteful look as he swallowed his food. The table was quiet now and I could tell the kids were fully attentive about it, but I dared not mention what I already knew as it was useless and maybe dangerous to tell them. When I didn't say anything more about it, Haruke spoke up.

"Well, don't die then. I don't want to be stuck with Mitsuru or Sasuke. I can't even tell which one is worse." He stated. Mitsuru visibly twitched and flung a slice of his fish at Haruke, who tilted his head out of the way with a laugh as it stuck to the wall. I glared.

"Mitsuru, go pick that up and throw it away. Don't waste the food like that. Haruke, if that's what concerns you, don't worry. As dangerous as it may sound by simply saying top secret, it's probably not that hard. Besides, Sasuke is also joining us. I'm putting Mitsuru in charge of the house because he's the oldest." I informed, glancing at Itachi for approval of the idea and he gave a nod of agreement. Mitsuru grinned and Haruke huffed.

"Oh, please."

"And if we're not back by tomorrow, Mitsuru, you can ask Akira to come over and check on Haruke. Miwa, Manabu, you're both to go to the academy like you always do. Haruke, while Mitsuru goes on his missions with his teammates, make sure they get to the academy safely before you come back home. I might have Akira stay and make sure you don't hurt yourself-"

"I'm not going to hurt myself!" Haruke protested and looked genuinely upset that I mentioned it, but I couldn't help it. Being accident prone and unable to tell if you're hurt is a dangerous mix. Who knows? Maybe Haruke could jab himself with the needle and not know it while making his dolls, or fall down the stairs or something really creepy and I just hated thinking about it!

"Haruke, it's just a precaution," Itachi said calmly, "Your mother is just worried. I understand where she's coming from. You have the tendency to get in a lot of trouble, especially with the Genin exams coming up."

"Tch!" Haruke scuffed, but said nothing more and just stabbed at his food. I felt uncomfortable leaving my kids alone in the house, but I also felt some confidence for Mitsuru. He was a great older brother. He took care of his siblings and even took the liberty of learning how to cook for them. Of course, Haruke and Miwa took advantage of him from time to time, but Mitsuru handled it. Not always gracefully, but enough so he could be called well-behaved.

After cleaning up our lunch and washing the dishes, Itachi and I got ready to leave and meet Sasuke. We said goodbye to our kids, but it was a little hard. I hated leaving them, like, so much.

"You guys behave," I told them firmly, "Don't run around, don't throw parties, go to bed at a decent hour, make sure you eat all your dinner tonight. If you guys have any problems, call Akira. Please be careful. I don't wanna come home to find the place in a disaster." They all nodded, some later than others, making me smile. Itachi looked at them, nodding in agreement.

"Basically everything your mother said. Mitsuru, please take care of your siblings. Watch them carefully and whatever you do, keep your appetite at a minimum." He added, referring to Mitsuru's cannibalism. Mitsuru just beamed up at him confidently before we bid them farewell.

**Moments Later. (Uchiha Mitsuru)**

It didn't take more than five freaking minutes for my control to completely dissipate like a sugar cube in coffee. Miwa was running after Haruke up and down the stairs and hallways, screaming at the top of her lungs things that I wouldn't even say. Manabu was hiding behind me, watching with a little sigh.

"YOU DUMMY! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AND FEED YOU TO THE CROWS! MITSURU WOULDN'T EVEN EAT YOUR DIRTY CORPSE!" Miwa screamed, heaving up a shoe from the mat by the door as Haruke darted toward the kitchen. She threw it hard and it slammed right through the hallway wall, inches from Haruke's head.

"Missed me." Haruke taunted, sticking out his tongue. Miwa fumed and started to after Haruke, but I gave up keeping calm and grabbed the back of Miwa's pale blue, short-sleeved kimono top while at the same time, reaching out and snatching Haruke by the front of his black t-shirt.

"That's enough! Miwa, look what you did! Mom and dad told us not even five damn minutes ago not to ruin this place! Tell me how you're going to fix that!" I snapped at her, watching her stare at me with wide eyes.

"I…"

"You don't know your own strength! Be careful! And Haruke!"

"Oh, here we go again. Lemme guess! Nag, nag, nag. Nag, nag. Nag, nag, nag, nag." Haruke ranted, sighing and tilting his head to the side in annoyance. I twitched and tensed up in rage.

"That's it! YOU'RE DEAD!"

"Hahaha, now who's losing his calm?" Haruke cooed, only to be slammed into the floor. He didn't wince, just flailed a little at losing his balance before looking up in time for me to tackle him to the floor. I tried to pin him, but he kept squirming just out of my reach.

"Punch him in the face, Mitsuru!" Miwa cheered, clapping her hands and giggling. Manabu sweat dropped, shifting from foot to foot as he twiddled his thumbs.

"If he does that, mom and dad will see the bruise."

"Who cares? Haruke's a jerk and deserves it!"

"He can't even feel it."

"So? It feels good for us!"

"That's not very nice, Miwa."

"No wonder we're failing the academy, Manabu, you're too nice to be a shinobi."

"Am not…" I lost their conversation when Haruke shoved his hand up against the bottom of my jaw to keep me pushed up as I grabbed a handful of his hair, glaring down at him. Haruke glared back like he was going to kill me, but I smirked and backed off, making him study me closely.

"All right," I decided, "Forget it. I need to go meet up with Shisui so we go to the hot springs. While I'm gone…" My voice trailed and Haruke's eyes grew murderous.

"Don't you dare!" He seethed, but I already moved my hands into a hand sign.

"Aw," Miwa pointed a finger at me, "Dad said you weren't allowed to use Genjutsu on him!"

"If it gets him to shut up." I retorted and finished the hand signs, swinging my hand out to release the jutsu. Haruke skidded back across the floor and into the wall, slumping to the side, fast asleep. I smirked, clapping my hands together before putting my hands on my hips.

"That's one way to shut him up. You guys should learn some of that Genjutsu." I pointed out to Manabu and Miwa who stared at me with identical stares of surprise. I walked over to Haruke, easily hoisting him over my shoulder and taking him up the stairs. I went into the room that I shared with him, dropping him on the bed and throwing the blankets over him before I went to the window and locked it, heading back downstairs to find Manabu and Miwa staring into the hole in the wall.

"All right," I announced, making them look up and stiffen in attention, "I'm going to hang out with Shisui for a couple hours. Hopefully the jutsu will last that long. If it doesn't and Haruke wakes up, stay out of his way and ignore everything he says. If he tries to antagonize you, just get out of the room."

"What's that mean?" Miwa asked, tilting her head.

"Antaguh-nize." Manabu echoed. I sighed.

"It means to make someone mad. If he tries to make you guys made, just walk away and let him be by himself. You two should probably just do some homework, play a game or something, then go to bed if I'm not home by then. If so, then we'll all play a game, I promise."

"Okay!" The twins beamed at me and I nodded, patting them both before exiting the house, heading down the road to Shisui's. Of course, since his father is the leader of our clan, he gets a nice big house with plenty of run around space and a nice pond in the back with some training space.

I walked up to the front door across the deck, not bothering to knock since Sasuke wasn't home and walked right in. I peered around, kicking off my shoes and cupping a hand around my mouth.

"Shisui! Shisui, ya home? You better be! You said we were going to the hot springs!" I called and paused before stepping into the living room, where Shisui's brother was doggy-earring his book. Hiding behind the large black dictionary was Uchiha Nakusu, a thin and kind of fragile kid.

Nakusu had navy blue hair that always looked like he just got out of bed, some hanging in his face. His right eye was covered by his crooked headband as a mockery of his sensei, the infamous copy ninja, Hatake Kakashi. He wore a simple long sleeved black shirt with slits in the shoulders and a pair of matching dark gray pants that seemed to hide his bare feet as he sat scrunched up on the sofa.

"Is knocking no longer a requirement before entering someone's home?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged carelessly. Nakusu always talked like a grown up, but he was just a year older than me.

"Where's Shisui?" I asked. Nakusu stared at me flatly, adjusting his headband slightly.

"He is probably in his room-" He was cut off when stomping came down the stairs, making Nakusu frown in annoyance as I turned just in time for Shisui to come barreling into the living room and almost knocking me clean off my feet in a hug.

"Hyaaaa! Mitsuruuu! My little Mitsuru!" Shisui sang happily, snuggling his face against my cheek. I grimaced and tried to pull away from him, but Shisui had inherited his monstrous strength from his mother and there was no way he was letting go until he realized he was choking the air out of me.

Not only did he gain his strength from his mother, but also her soft and long hair. Shisui's hair was bright, deep blue and hung to about halfway down his back, but it was always flipped up into a hairclip, kind of like my mom's. His eyes matched his hair and were always wide with excitement. His figure was definitely girlish, but no one dared say so because Shisui had a really scary temper. His tight black long sleeved-shirt with a collar that wrapped around his neck, rings hanging off the side of the collar that matched his black bellbottom jeans and shoes.

By some miracle, Shisui had convinced his father to let him piece his lower lip with a silver hoop and the side of his nose with a diamond stud.

"Shisui, you are killing him." Nakusu stated. Shisui blinked and finally let go, allowing me to gasp for air dramatically, flailing just a bit.

"Damn, Shisui! You almost squeezed the lungs right out my throat!" I snapped angrily, but Shisui just beamed, sticking out his tongue sweetly and holding up two fingers innocently.

"Ne, sorry about that, my little Mitsuru~ I was so excited. Today's turning out great so far! I finished a mission, got paid, you're over, and my dad is gone!" Shisui beamed happily. I sighed. Shisui and his dad had one of the worst relationships I'd ever seen between a father and son. Sasuke hated Shisui's sexual preference and his girly attitude while Shisui hated his father's sexism and nasty temper. Personally, I think that's where Shisui got his temper, but if I ever said that, he'd punch me in the face.

If he didn't like me so much, that is. I shuddered at the thought, then flinched when Shisui hugged me again, but a bit more gentle this time.

"Let's go the hot springs! Nakusu, come with!"

"It is not my thing." Nakusu replied flatly. Shisui pouted and let go of me to put his hands on his hips.

"Oh, don't be like that! Come on! Maybe we'll find you a girlfriend!"

"As if I need one."

"You sound like dad, ew! Come on! Please!"

"No."

"Shisui, if he doesn't want to come, don't make him." I pointed out, but Shisui just flung his hand back into my nose, making me yelp and clasp my hands over my nose as it throbbed lightly in pain. My eye twitched as I watched Shisui plead with Nakusu to join us.

Eventually giving in, Nakusu was following us down the street toward the hot springs, obviously not enjoying it. He probably only gave in because Shisui threatened him with his piercing gun. Poor Nakusu.

Shisui babbled most of the time and I zoned out, glancing at Nakusu, who just flinched whenever Shisui got too close to him. I never understood Nakusu's fear of physically being close to people. Maybe it was the stink or something, but he just wouldn't get within a foot of us as we walked.

We turned down a street with tall wooden fencing on either side and I noticed someone sitting on the fencing up ahead. He was just sitting there, staring at nothing really. He wore a heavy gray coat, a deep red scarf around his neck, and baggy black pants. His jacket was buttoned up some of the way, but it was obvious he wasn't wearing a shirt… Or, well, it seemed like that. His slate colored hair was straight and choppy, not quite short, but not quite long either. Shisui noticed him after I did, stopping just as we approached him.

"Hey, what're you doing all by yourself?" He asked curiously. I sighed. Shisui was a social butterfly and made it his duty to know everyone in Konohagakure. The boy on the fence glanced down at us, his eyes lilac, but I saw something weird on his face.

No, more than one thing. Dark purple marks on the right side of his face that looked almost like visible veins or maybe just vine-like tattoos. I glanced at his hands and saw them trailing along his fingertips as well as his chest. I stared, amazed at the amount of them and wondered if they really covered every part of his body. He frowned at us slightly.

"Sitting, what's it look like?" He asked, his voice mature. Shisui pouted a bit, then smiled.

"My name's Uchiha Shisui! I haven't seen you around here before! Are you new?" He questioned. I saw the boy's eyes widen for a fraction of a second before he averted his eyes, turning his head slightly so we couldn't see his face.

"I guess you could say that."

"What's your name?"

"Kaoru."

"Oh, that's a nice name! Kaoru~ Do you want to hang out with us? We're going to the hot springs!" Shisui boosted. Kaoru looked at us flatly.

"Don't like hot springs."

"Why not? They're really relaxing." Shisui urged, but Kaoru just shook his head and hopped down off the fence. I noticed Nakusu take a jolting step away, giving Kaoru an uncomfortable look at getting so close. Shisui just kept smiling away like the constantly excited kid he really was.

"I don't like water." Kaoru replied and I tilted my head as he mindlessly buttoned up his jacket, pulling his sleeves over his hands and letting his hair fall over his face. That way, you could hardly see the marks. I guess Shisui didn't even notice the marks and I wondered if Nakusu saw them at all. He was a genius and was supposed to know everything.

"Well, fine," Shisui stated, putting his hands on his hips, glancing up at the sky as if to hope for an answer as he licked at his piercing before beaming at Kaoru, "At least come and watch! Just to hang out with us. It'd be fun and you wouldn't be so lonely!" I saw Kaoru's eyes flicker for a second and he looked away with an almost sad expression before he shrugged.

"All right, but I'm not going near the edge."

"That's fine! But why are you so scared of the water?"

"Not so much the water as what's in it." Kaoru muttered, averting his eyes. That was weird. What kind of fish would be in a hot tub? I decided not to ask since I wasn't as social as Shisui. I waited for people to talk to me first. Nakusu just rolled his visible eye at Shisui as we started walking again.

"You are much too talkative. No wonder father is annoyed by you." He sighed. Shisui huffed, folding his arms over his chest tightly.

"Psh! He's not talkative enough. You know, sometimes you're so much like him, it's annoying." He muttered. Nakusu shrugged, averting his eye.

"I rather be like him than mother."

"Jerk!" Shisui accused, but Nakusu just gave a faint smile in return. Kaoru frowned.

"Who's your dad?" He asked. Nakusu looked at him, but obviously avoided eye contact.

"Uchiha Sasuke. You do not live in Konohagakure, do you?" He asked. Kaoru shook his head and averted his eyes, looking sort of neutral.

"Nope. I'm all over the place most of the time. My dad takes us everywhere." He replied calmly.

"You got a big family?" I asked. Kaoru blinked and tilted his head a bit.

"I dunno. I never thought of them as a family… Just a bunch of people who hang around my dad." He replied, shrugging lightly. I frowned and Shisui beamed, like he always did.

"And your mother?" Nakusu pressed. Kaoru seemed to smile faintly.

"She's dead. I think she died a year after I was born. My dad took me away from her." He responded.

"Why would he do that?" Shisui asked, confused. Kaoru shrugged.

"I dunno, but I don't really care. He said it was all a big accident, that she got pregnant, that is. Probably a good thing that she's dead or else I'd of killed her myself. I hate stupid people who do stupid things like that." He explained.

"What kind of parents says his son's birth was an accident?" I demanded in annoyance. His dad shouldn't tell him that! No parent should say that. I know my parents didn't plan me, but I know they're both happy that I came around. Same with Haruke. They planned to have a third, but they got twins instead, which probably just made them all the more happier. I could tell both my mom and dad loved kids.

"Why would _you_ kill your mother?" Nakusu asked. Kaoru averted his eyes.

"It's personal." He said. Shisui went to open his mouth, then yelled happily when the hot springs came into view. Nakusu sighed, but he followed us anyway as we entered the hot springs. Just like he said, Kaoru avoided going near the water and instead sat on a rock a ways away from the pool. Nakusu just dipped his legs in, keeping his headband on and closing his visible eye to relax. Shisui jumped in, splashing most of us with water. I just laughed at him, slipping in and relaxing with a content sigh. I loved hot springs, so warm and relaxing. Definitely nice after a hectic day.

"And you," Kaoru said, looking at me after avoiding conversation with Shisui, "Who're your parents?" I blinked and tilted my head at him.

"Uh, Uchiha Itachi and Ruriko." I answered. Kaoru frowned.

"What's your mom's original surname?"

"Tsukuyomi. Why?"

"I dunno. She sounds familiar."

"She said she caused a lot of trouble when she was younger. Probably."

"Did she ever tell you what kind of trouble?"

"Huh? Well, no… Not really… She just said she was kidnapped because of her job."

"Oh." Kaoru looked away thoughtfully, resting his head in his hands, his sleeves hiding the marks and his hair too. I was losing sight of his lilac eyes too. I wondered if I should ask about those marks, but by the way he was hiding him, he didn't seem to want anyone to know, so I didn't bother. Although, I was still left pretty curious as the relaxation time came to an end and we were walking out of the building.

Shisui heaved a heavy sigh, throwing his arms back to stretch and yawn before folding his hands behind his head.

"Well, that was great! We should do that again!" He smiled happily as we walked into the village. Nakusu frowned.

"You got me soaking wet when I rather not have." He responded. Shisui huffed.

"It's a hot spring! Get used to it!" He retorted. Kaoru sighed, but said nothing, looking the other way. He was quiet a lot, but I guess he just wasn't social.

"So, are you staying anywhere?" Shisui asked him after a while as we walked. Kaoru shook his head. Nakusu frowned. Shisui blinked in surprise.

"You're not? Then did you just get here?" He asked. Kaoru shook his head again, glanced at the sky thoughtfully, then held up two fingers.

"Been here for two days." He replied.

"Then where have you slept?" I asked. Kaoru shrugged.

"Around. No where specific."

"You can't just sleep in the streets. You can stay at my house if you want." I offered. Kaoru looked at me, as if not expecting it. I probably shouldn't have offered because my parents would freak if I let a stranger in the house, but Kaoru didn't look harmful at all.

"Let's have a party at Mitsuru's!" Shisui declared. I sweat dropped.

"Shisui-"

"Nakusu and I will show up later too! Just give me some time to pack! We should invite some more friends too!"

"SHISUI!" I protested angrily, but he ignored me and went on expressing how fun it was going to be to hang out with everyone again and I just rolled my eyes and looked at Kaoru and Nakusu.

"Shisui." Nakusu sighed and shook his head, reaching up to adjust his headband with a frown. Kaoru averted his eyes and looked a bit uncomfortable at a big party, but there was no point in trying to tell Shisui to shut up. He was already running back home ahead of us. No wonder people didn't believe him if he was an Uchiha.

**(Kaoru)**

I was ashamed to say I was related to that guy. He was so hyper and excited and reminded me of a freaking Chihuahua. Only he looked nothing like a Chihuahua. When I first saw him, this guy, Shisui, I seriously thought he was an angel, like the statues that you see in cemeteries. I don't know what kind of fool wouldn't say that the guy was really angelic, despite his obnoxious attitude.

It was kind of awkward, you know, another guy complimenting another, which is why I didn't vocally say anything about it. He'd get the wrong idea and obviously like it. However, romance was so far out of my mind right now that it didn't even exist. I didn't like girls, but I didn't like guys either. Neither of them were attractive for loads of reasons.

I was also amazed at how Mitsuru invited me over and he just met me. I didn't recognize pity or sympathy or just being plain nice, so I didn't really know what to say. I just followed Mitsuru to house after we were done talking with Nakusu and Shisui.

"Make yourself at home," Mitsuru said, opening the door and gesturing around, "We have a guest room upstairs to the far left of the hall, right hand side. Uh, be careful about-" He was cut off when a boy made his appearance at the top of the stairs. His hair a dark blackish gray and hanging over his right eye, to the nape of his neck, and his eyes a deep, angry blue.

"Mitsuru! You asshole, you put me to sleep!" He accused angrily, his fists clenched. Mitsuru scowled at him.

"Shut up, Haruke. It was necessary since you were being a brat, again."

"Bite me."

"I will."

"Ew, no! Who's the guy?" Haruke asked, folding his arms over his chest and frowning. I was almost tempted to flinch. The look he gave me was so awfully familiar that I felt uncomfortable with him staring at me like that. I just dropped my eyes to the floor as Mitsuru sighed.

"His name is Kaoru. He's got nowhere to stay while he's here in Konoha. I'm sure mom and dad will understand- Hey, where are the twins?" He asked, suddenly sounding worried. I got even more uncomfortable. How many cousins did I have? Haruke just smirked all-knowingly.

"Backyard. They were playing with one of mom's shuriken."

"HARUKE! They're nine- Never mind!" Mitsuru bolted past the staircase and down the hall, the sound of a sliding door opening and slamming shut following. Haruke looked at me and I looked the other way, frowning, making sure the left side of my head was visible rather than the right, where my hair was starting to part off to the side and reveal my face.

If he was just like everyone else, I had a feeling he was going to bother me too and I was just not in the mood for that, especially from a kid that was a total brat.

"Your name is Kaoru?" Haruke asked and sat at the top of the stairs. I frowned and glanced at him.

"What's it to you?" I asked. Haruke blinked, then huffed, giving me a cocky smirk that I had commonly seen.

"Tch, nothing. Are you some kind of freak or something? It's warm out. Wearing a jacket like that is stupid."

"It's just the way I like it, brat. Keep talking and I don't care who you are, I'll rip your stomach open." I replied as calmly as I could muster. I could feel the threads on my fingers wiggling around on my skin, making me want to wince in pain. Haruke glared at me, annoyed.

"Whatever. I'm not scared of anything."

"You're just a kid. You don't _know_ anything."

"Beg to differ, freak."

"Oh, cork it," I sighed, mellowing out, "Judging by the fact that you seem to be a lazy sort of person, you're not even a shinobi. You're scared, but in denial, which means you're pretty worthless." Haruke blinked and stared at me before clenching his fists and glaring some more.

"Yea right. Useless… I'll show you who's useless." He muttered and got to his feet, heading back upstairs. I frowned, getting an uneasy feeing from that kid. What a creepy brat. I glanced down the hall, catching a glimpse of Mitsuru looking for his twin siblings before I went up the stairs. I peeked down the hall to see Haruke go into a room, slamming his door shut. I waited and quietly moved down the hallway, my boots careful not to make a squeak or scuff.

I peeked into a few rooms before I found the one I was looking for. I stepped into the master bedroom to see the bed sloppily made. A huge bookcase made up the opposite side of the room. I glanced around quickly, carefully to make sure there was nothing reflective before walking up to the dresser.

A few books were piled up and I picked through them, but found nothing. I curiously poked around in the dresser, but only clothes occupied the space. I went to the walk-in closet, peering around. Some more clothes, but more formal. A couple kimonos, lots of shoes and jewelry. The plastic case reflected the light when I turned it on, so I quickly shut the light off, staring at the jewelry case before glancing to the side to find a wedding kimono in plastic.

Looked like an average home with no suspicious sights… Except that. My eyes landed on a white box inside the jewelry case, but I made no move to grab it. It looked like it was partially opened, with a black ribbon hanging out. The kind of black ribbon that people used to mark their page in a book. What kind of book?

I wondered for a second until I heard a door open and close, so I jerked out of the closet and shut the door quickly before heading out of the room to glance down the hallway. I guessed Mitsuru was back in as I could hear the sound of voices yelling downstairs, so I carefully moved for the stairs.

I'd have to make a mental note to be back tonight.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: YAY! I finally got around to finishing the rest of this. lol. Okay, onto the important stuff. Unfortunately, I neglected to mention that you need to put your OCs occupations as well as their children's teams! The sensei are all still available from the original SoH and there are some new ones, such as Akira and maybe some of your OCs as well! Right now, I haven't come up with any specific people on teams, except that Nakusu is on Kakashi's team. I will need to know who is on who's team and I would really like it if you gave me a bit of information on your OCs feelings for mine because it would help so much! If you'd already sent me the bios, you don't have to resend the entire thing, just the needed information I just mentioned. If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to ask me! I'm always online (even during the school year). Note, there are also several arcs for this series, so it's gonna be a long one, MAYBE even longer than SoH was. Well, I think that's it for now. Thank you so much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**UPDATE! WOO!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I only own the following characters:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Mitsuru**

**Haruke**

**Miwa and Manabu**

**Nakusu**

**Shisui**

**Kaoru**

**A/N: Begins with Kaoru's POV!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Two: **Everyone Fears Something! Never Useless!**

Mitsuru was the one who made dinner that evening. I never would have suspected that he would be a good cook, but I guess I was wrong. The meal was pretty quiet, except for Haruke and Miwa occasionally shouting at each other randomly. They obviously had it out for each other. I think I favored Manabu most of all. He was shy and quiet, but he smiled and had no judgmental stares. Not to mention he looked like a little doll.

In fact, both he and Miwa looked like dolls. Their matching grayish blue hair, Miwa's longer and held back with a spotted headband while Manabu's was short and sort of stuck up in the back. They both had deep, orchid purple eyes, but Miwa's right eye was paler and Mitsuru mentioned she was blind in that one, but it didn't stop her from being all over the place.

Miwa dressed in a pale kimono top with a white trim and white shorts. Manabu wore a navy blue turtleneck with no sleeves, the shoulders cut open slightly, and pale blue shorts that touched his knees.

"Where are your parents?" I asked at last after a rare silence. Mitsuru shrugged, glancing up at me.

"On a mission. They should be back maybe tomorrow afternoon or the day after at the latest." He replied.

"They can trust you to take care of your siblings?" I questioned, my eyes drifting over a gaping hole in the wall. Miwa went pink and Manabu coughed. Haruke snickered. Mitsuru twitched, but tried to stay calm.

"I can take care of them just fine. They just have the tendency to be difficult." He answered and that broke out a bit of controversy.

"I'M difficult? Screw you, Mitsuru!" Haruke snapped.

"I'm not diff… Diff… I'm not bad! I'm gooder than Haruke!" Miwa stated confidently, folding her arms over her chest.

"I don't even do anything." Manabu protested quietly. Mitsuru sweat dropped, slammed his bowl down and pressed a palm to his forehead before looking up at me with a look that said 'see what I mean?' I sighed and averted my eyes as Mitsuru smacked his hand down.

"All of you be quiet! This is exactly what I mean. Jeez, you're embarrassing. No wonder mom and dad don't take you with us to festivals." Mitsuru muttered.

"Jerk!" Haruke accused.

"Meanie." Miwa muttered. Manabu obediently stayed silent, sucking on the spoon in his mouth before wincing when Miwa pinched him, glaring at him to agree. Manabu just quickly nodded and looked down at his lap. Mitsuru rolled his eyes, then glanced at the clock with a frown.

"Shisui's either taking his time or he forgot…"

"Shisui's coming over?" Miwa asked excitedly and spilled her bowl by clapping too much, causing it to spill down the table. I frowned and Mitsuru smacked his forehead, before throwing up his hands.

"I give up. Run wild." He sighed, exasperated. Miwa did just that and leapt to her feet, hopping over the table and into the hallway.

"SHISUI'S COMIN'! SHISUI'S COMIN'!" She chanted happily. Haruke got to his feet, rolling his eyes.

"Just what we need. That creepy jerk coming around… Is Nakusu coming?" He asked after a pause. Mitsuru gave a nod and Haruke sighed with relief.

"I'll get my game then." He left the room and Manabu eventually scurried out as Miwa called out his name. I frowned and looked at Mitsuru, who rose to his feet and started to clean up the mess made.

"I don't know how you can deal with those brats." I muttered. Mitsuru shrugged, frowning toward the doorway as Miwa ran by with a roll of toilet paper.

"Sometimes I just wanna smash their faces into the floor, but they're my siblings. I have to take care of them since I'm the oldest." He told me, heading into the kitchen. I paused for a second, then got up and went after him.

"Sounds like too much of a hassle. I'm glad I don't have any siblings… At least, not any that I know of." I added under my breath, watching Mitsuru dump the dishes into the sink. Mitsuru glanced at me.

"Not that you know of?" He asked, confused. I shrugged.

"My mom was a prostitute." I answered with a frown of disgust. The very thought of it was gross. Why would anyone sell themselves for money? Even for the reason she did it.

Mitsuru blinked, then looked away. He didn't seem to have anything to say, but that was even better than insulting her. I rather not have people comment on it. I didn't know quite what to say when my dad told me either. I went to ask about his mother, seeing as she was my target, but a pair of arms suddenly grabbed me from behind around the neck in a suffocating hug, shocking me right into silence.

"Kaoruuu!" Shisui sang in my ear, hugging on me tightly. I winced and twitched, flashing him a glare, but he easily ignored it, looking at Mitsuru as if ready to attack him with a hug too, but Mitsuru was conveniently washing a knife and holding it toward him.

"HELL NO!" Mitsuru stated, his expression showing comical annoyance. Shisui pouted and held up a finger matter-of-factly, his other hand on his hip.

"Don't be so mean. I just love hugging and kissing on you. I mean, who wouldn't? You're the pinnacle of adorable, my little Mitsuru!" He teased with a wink, touching his finger to his lip and blowing a little kiss at Mitsuru, who flinched and flailed his hand, knife and all, as if an attempt to wave the kiss away.

"Ugh! Just go find something to do so I can wash the dishes real quick. Kaoru, you can go upstairs and sleep if you want. It'd probably be nice to sleep in a bed." Mitsuru added, glancing at me. I nodded and brushed by Shisui, who started to babble about unnecessary things. Walking out into the hallway, I noticed Miwa and Manabu had settled down to watch TV in the living room, just past the stairs. I saw Haruke and Nakusu playing some board game, but I didn't know which one. I rarely played them myself because I didn't have the patience. I glanced up toward the stairs, frowning before I headed back up to the second floor.

I drifted down the hallway back toward the master bedroom, peering back down the hall, listening. I walked into the room and to the closet, opening it and staring at the jewelry case with the box inside. I frowned, but still didn't make a move before I lifted my hand toward it. I flexed my fingers and the dark purple marks slid forward, stretching and pulling before they extended outwards.

They shot toward the case, poking right through the plastic without a sound before they ripped open a good sized hole. I kept my eyes on the bedroom door the entire time, listening to the gentle rustling that the threads made as they took out the box. I looked back as the threads tore the book back into my hand like taunt rubber bands. I grasped the leather bound diary in my hand.

"_Shadows of Heroes_, hm?" I murmured at the title printed on the front of the book. I turned it over in my hands, tilting my head. I flipped through the pages, seeing nice black calligraphy flutter by before I came to the black ribbon that was holding the place. The rest of the book was blank. It was pretty thick, but it seemed whoever was writing this diary didn't finish their story. I opened to the first page, frowning as I read the first sentence: _Things were racing too fast._

That was a good hook line. I wanted to read more, but I heard the sound of someone coming up the stairs. I jerked my head up and shoved the diary into my coat, moving quickly out the door and standing just outside it as soon as someone got to the top of the stairs.

"Kaoru." Nakusu said first, looking down at me, his head cocked a bit curiously. I stared at him before averting my eyes, walking toward him, but not that close. He seemed uneasy being too close to someone, so I respected that by staying a good four feet from him.

"Hey. I saw you playing a board game with Haruke."

"Yes. Shogi. Were you investigating the house?" Nakusu asked, sounding more casual than suspicious, but I just stared at him flatly.

"Yea. Just looking around. It's a lot bigger than a lot of the other houses that I've been in…"

"You said your dad moved your family around a lot."

"Yea, but we don't all live in one house… Well, not exactly. Some leave for days on end, others stay behind. It's not really a family. More like… A moving job."

"Merchants?" Nakusu pressed calmly. I shrugged.

"I guess you could say that… We go around, collecting the rarest and best items that we can get our hands on." I answered.

"That is interesting… Do you have many friends or no?" Nakusu asked. I smiled, almost without noticing it as I shifted on my feet.

"No. Nobody wants to be friends with me."

"And I thought I was the only one." Nakusu mused, more to himself as he looked the other way. I blinked, then averted my eyes.

"I don't see why no one would hate you." I admitted with a light shrug. Nakusu smirked, folding his arms over his chest.

"I am too smart. We have only just met and you have not seen that I can be rather rude… Of course, I do not mean to be. It is just the way I am." He added with a sigh, reaching up to push his headband onto his forehead so he could rub his eye, letting the headband fall back into place.

"That's stupid," I stated with a frown, "Why wouldn't someone want to be friends with a smart person? Just because you're smart doesn't mean people should hate you." Nakusu glanced at me out the corner of his eye.

"Try telling everyone else that." He replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Everyone else is stupid. Forget them. So what if you're a little mean? From what I've seen, Mitsuru has a little temper, but he's still got some friends, at least, that's how it seems. Some people wouldn't mind being friends with someone like you."

"You should take your own advice." Nakusu answered. I frowned, raising an eyebrow at him and he pointed at me, my face. I blinked and automatically clutched the right side of my face, frowning again.

"That's different."

"It is not. Whether you are mean or you believe that looks matter, that advice applies." Nakusu replied. I rolled my eyes and dropped my hand.

"Yea, but with parents it's different."

"You said your mother was dead."

"But my dad's not."

"… Your father judges you by appearance?" Nakusu asked distastefully, crinkling up his nose as if the very thought annoyed him. I smirked.

"Why not? He seems to do the same with everyone else. My mom too. The older we get, the more this world thinks appearances matter."

"I do not think that way." Nakusu stated. I looked at him, mildly surprised and at the same time, feeling a little depressed. Surprised because I didn't expect him to say _that_ and depressed because he wasn't my friend.

"That's good." I said at last. Nakusu frowned at me, then hesitantly held out a hand, averting his visible eye.

"As much as I really do not like human contact… I want to be your first friend." He mumbled. I blinked and looked at his hand. It was shaking a little, but it was honest and I really didn't know what to do. Shake his hand and accept?

_I guess you can make some friends with your cousins while you're there._

_He_ had said that… Whether he was serious or not doesn't matter. He said it, so technically it gave me permission and if I mentioned it in the report… No, why even mention it? I shouldn't hassle him with my internal issues… It's not like he would care anyway or maybe not even believe me. I reached out and shook Nakusu's hand.

"Sounds good." I stated. Nakusu seemed to smile faintly, then pulled his hand away with a sigh, holding it close to his chest. Either because touching someone freaked him out or something.

"Why don't you like touching anyone?" I decided to ask. Nakusu blinked, glanced down at his hand and dropped it to his side with a sigh.

"It just unnerves me… Humans are so warm and… I do not know if it's just that or if maybe it is the feeling that they might lash out. It is just been a fear of mine since I was little. And you? I know the reason that you did not want to go near the hot spring was not because you are frightened of water or else you would have leapt away from the table when Miwa spilt her soup." He explained. I stared at him, then smirked.

"You are smart. That's cool… I don't like my reflection. It's why I've been avoiding eye contact with you. Your headband is reflective." I pointed. Nakusu touched his headband, then smiled lightly at me.

"Everyone is frightened of something. If they say they are not, they are lying."

"Very true." I agreed and tried not to smile too much. This guy was pretty interesting. I was getting way too sucked into the conversation and I found myself talking to him for the rest of the evening. Mostly small things, like morals and religion, you know, things that you might talk with around your friends. They were touchy subjects, but we agreed on most things. He gave me some fun facts about life. I wasn't about to tell him he was my cousin, though.

Nor that my father was in charge of the biggest criminal organization since Kuromura Kotaro's, if you really want to count that as an organization and not a huge mass murdering army.

I guess they were staying the night as Mitsuru allowed them to sleep downstairs in the living room since I had the guest room. I offered, but Nakusu refused to let me offer, so I sat up on my bed. I tossed my jacket and scarf at the end of the bed, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the breeze on my back.

I set the diary down on the bed, staring at it again with a frown. It was definitely a rough draft for a story, but it was in diary form. There was a few slips of paper that I found tucked into a couple pages, making notes about publishers and grammar errors. I opened to the first page and pressed my thumb to my lips, nibbling as I let my eyes drift over the sentences, reading each one carefully.

It was first person and so far, I could tell who had written this diary, soon to be book.

Tsukuyomi Ruriko.

**Later (Uchiha Haruke)**

I wasn't letting that guy get away with calling me useless. I wasn't useless. I had more use than he did and it was pretty obvious. That guy was obviously a stupid coward, hiding in those clothes and trying to stay calm, but I could see right through him.

Just like the hole Miwa made in the wall, which also reminded me that I needed to get her back for getting me in trouble. Mitsuru too for using that jutsu on me. I'd easily tell mom and dad about that, but I couldn't tell them about the guy who had come home with Mitsuru. Nakusu and Shisui already knew him too, which bugged me even more for some reason.

That guy was getting an even special-er treatment from me.

I sat on my bed, glancing across the room at Mitsuru, who was fast asleep on his bed, his blankets pulled over his head. He had locked the door, just in case Shisui snuck in to bug him, but I had a feeling he also did it to keep me in the room, but I was going to get out easily.

I pulled the needle up near my face, watching the thread jerk the side of the neck closed and I tilted my head to study my work. A clean doll without any features, hair, or clothes. I hadn't even written the vital points on it yet. I was also missing two key ingredients to this…

A strand of hair and a drop of blood, but that was going to be easy. I could just sneak into that guy's room and take what I wanted.

I frowned when I noticed a drop of blood hit the sheets and it took me a moment to realize that I had jabbed myself in the thumb. I rolled my eyes and stuck my thumb in my mouth as I tied a knot with my free hand in the thread, biting it loose. I reached under my bed and grabbed up some of the extra materials I had.

I liked making the clothes the best. It was fun to cut out the felt and sew it with other bits of clothe, making nice jackets or vests or anything else. I had made a doll of Mitsuru, but I didn't put his hair or blood in it. I didn't want to kill him if I accidentally sat on the doll in the bed or anything funny like that.

I clamped a hand over my mouth and tried to hide my laugh at the thought of it before I got to work, cutting out some gray felt. It's not like I was going to kill that guy, Kaoru, or whatever. I just wanted to show him that I wasn't useless.

He's stupid. Just like the other shinobi of this village. Stupid, stupid idiots. Telling mom and dad that I wasn't fit to be a shinobi. Oh, I'll show them. I was going to show all those stupid Jounin, those stupid Chuunin, and those stupid Genin. The dumbass Hokage too and those medic ninja. Just watch me. I wasn't useless. I wasn't useless at all!

In another hour, I finished making the clothing. I tied the little scarf tightly around the doll and smiled. The clothes turned out perfect without any wrinkles or stains from my thumb, which got poked again while I was making the boots out of the leather material my dad had bought me. You'd think he'd stop buying me materials if he knew what I was always doing.

No, I wasn't _that _mean. I didn't make the voodoo dolls with my jutsu all the time. Sometimes I just made them because there was nothing else to do. Mitsuru was off on missions, the twins at the academy, mom and dad at work. My cousins off on their missions while their dad screwed around at work.

I grabbed the buttons and began to sew them on, sewing on a little crooked frown. He never seemed to smile, so I wasn't going to give him a cute smile or pout. I studied him a bit more before I carefully sewed on the hair. That was the hardest part because the silky strands kept flying about. I was surprised I could even sew the little wig set on him, not only because of that, but the color I had never seen before.

By the time I finished, it was three in the morning, so I sighed quietly and held onto the doll, climbing out of the bed. I glanced at Mitsuru and went to the door, silently unlocking it before slipping out and shutting the door behind me.

Some ninja. He couldn't even tell when his own brother was sneaking out.

I walked down the hallway, pausing in front of the guest room to see the light shining underneath. I frowned and bent down, peering under, but nothing was moving, so I dared to push the door open.

Kaoru was curled up under the blankets, his hair falling over his face as he lay with a weird, leather book under his arm. I ignored it. So long as he was asleep, what did I care what he read?

I walked up to the bed, tilting to the left to peer at him. He seemed pretty fast asleep and that's when I noticed something that altered my plans a bit. Dark purple marks. They looked like vines or something, creeping across his face and his hands, his arms. I stared, amazed.

It was cool in a creepy kind of way and I couldn't wait to draw them on the doll, but I had to draw them first or else the doll would be all messed up. I glanced around the room and got into the wardrobe. I found a bunch of markers, but only black and blue. I frowned a little, then went back to the side of Kaoru's bed.

Guess I'd have to wait… For the drop of blood, that is. I reached out and plucked a strand of hair, easily tying it in with the silk hair of the doll. I smiled down at it, but I was still a little disappointed at not finding a purple marker or something nearby. I exited the room and went back to mine, grabbing up a marker from under my bed and drawing the marks all over the doll, save for the side of his face where the marks had refrained from crawling.

Looks like I'd have to wait until morning to get the blood, but I already had a good plan in mind. I crawled under the blankets and held the doll as I slept.

**Morning**

I woke up right away, as soon as I heard Mitsuru get up. I did the usual thing, make fun of him, brush my teeth and elbow him in the jaw, making him smack me, got dressed in a black t-shirt and khaki shorts. I grabbed a ribbon from the material case under my bed and tied the Kaoru doll to the inside of the pocket of my shorts before I ran downstairs to beat Miwa to the table.

I don't know why we did that. I guess because Miwa was a selfish pig and a stupid girl. Her appetite was as bad as Mitsuru's and she stuffed her face non-stop, and yet, she could stay as skinny as a pole.

I plopped down at my usual seat at the table, listening to Miwa's feet pitter patter on the floor above me, making me smirk. She raced into the room and glared at me, Manabu trailing after sleepily.

"CHEATER!" She accused automatically. Oh, whatever. She's such a brat.

"How the hell did I cheat?" I demanded.

"Cuz you just did!"

"You're just saying that because you lost!"

"Shut up, Haruke! MITSURU!"

"Guys, not in the morning…" Mitsuru groaned, dragging himself into the kitchen across the dining room. I rolled my eyes, then stuck my tongue out at Miwa, but she picked up a plate to throw at me. I waited for the glass to hit my forehead, but Shisui came up behind her, taking her wrist, 'tsking'.

"Miwa, don't do that. Ignore him." Shisui scolded, but smiled anyway. Nakusu came in next, yawning sleepily and taking a seat. He was such a lazy ass, just like Mitsuru. Being up this early is no problem. I've pulled all-nighters without my parents knowing so I could make my voodoo dolls.

"Good luck with that." I told Shisui with a grin, but he just rolled his eyes and took a seat where dad always sat. Nakusu sat beside him, rubbing his eye sleepily. Kaoru came in last, looking a bit uncomfortable, dressed in that heavy coat and scarf. My hand unconsciously went to my pocket to squeeze the little doll in there before I smiled to myself and looked up to see Mitsuru bringing in leftovers from last night's dinner.

"Why don't you make fresh food?" I asked, annoyed. I hated leftovers. So icky. Mitsuru glared, blushing lightly.

"Shut up." He muttered. Shisui grinned at him.

"You'd make a great wife, Mitsuru~" He teased. Mitsuru rolled his eyes.

"What- I AM NOT A WIFE!" He snapped, just catching Shisui's words. Haha, yea right. Mitsuru was more of a wife than our mother was. Mitsuru knew how to cook and clean and act like a mom. Our mom didn't know how to cook at all and her idea of cleaning is to shove everything in boxes and the closet. I liked her method better, though. A lot easier and saved time.

As we ate, I decided to put my plan into action. It wasn't that dramatic, though. Just a drop of blood… I could easily draw more than a drop of blood, but it included me being the smart ass that I knew I was.

"So when is he leaving?" I asked Mitsuru, jabbing a thumb at Kaoru, who glared at me in aggravation.

"Haruke, be quiet. He'll leave when he wants to." Mitsuru commanded, frowning at me for being disrespectful, but I was on a roll and not about to stop.

"He better leave soon. I don't want him around. He's a pain."

"I haven't bothered you, brat." Kaoru said, his grip visibly tightening on his chopsticks.

"Ignore him." Mitsuru warned.

"Haruke's just a big mouth." Shisui huffed. I scowled at him.

"Shut up, Shisui. At least I have a big brain to go with my mouth while you have nothing," I answered, watching Shisui glare at me and tighten his grip on the table, denting it inwards slightly before I turned to Kaoru again with a smirk, "Stand up for yourself, unless you're too much of a scaredy cat, freak."

"If you don't shut up, I swear to the gods…" Kaoru began, but Mitsuru jumped in again.

"Please, don't, Kaoru. I know he's obnoxious, but just ignore him. Haruke has a disa-"

"Shut up!" I yelled at him, glaring. I hated it when he told everyone about my 'disability'. It wasn't a disability! I was just fine not being able to feel anything. I could pick on everyone as much as I wanted, get beat up as many times, but it wouldn't make me stop. I could train as long as I wanted without getting tired. I could jab my fingers with needles and they wouldn't hurt one bit. I didn't get cold or hot or anything stupid like normal _stupid_ people got. He was practically saying the same thing Kaoru did!

I wasn't useless! It was like everyone thought that and it just made me even madder!

"I don't care what's wrong with him," Kaoru snapped, "You can't let him do what he wants. Ignoring him won't shut him up. It's like telling me to ignore the thorn in my palm." I stared at him. I was a little happy about being agreed with, but at the same time, he was pretty stupid, thinking hitting me would make me shut up. Mitsuru just frowned, but didn't make a move.

"Well, maybe you're not that stupid." I stated. Kaoru threw his chopsticks at me, one bouncing off my cheek and the other smacking into my chest and plopping in my soup, making me laugh.

"You suck." I proclaimed proudly and didn't make a flinch or yelp when he grabbed me up by the front of my shirt.

"Kaoru!" Almost everyone yelped in shock when Kaoru threw me back to the floor, making another grab for me. I lashed out quickly and my nails caught the skin between his thumb and index finger, ripping off a bit. Blood dripped free under my nail and I scrambled back to avoid another attack, but I think he punched me in the head. Hard to tell.

I jerked the doll out of my pocket and dropped the blood hanging off my fingernail into the doll's chest.

"HA!" I shouted triumphantly, holding the doll out. Kaoru stopped, frowning at me, confused. Mitsuru leapt to his feet.

"HARUKE! Don't you dare! If you do, I'll tell mom and dad!" He threatened. I rolled my eyes, holding the doll in both hands now.

"Oh, whatever. Mom and dad aren't here and can't do a thing about it. I could do whatever I wanted." I replied, tilting the doll and smirking at Kaoru.

"Aren't you a little old to be playing with dolls?" Kaoru muttered, folding his arms over his chest, but he flinched at the sight of the doll. He should be happy. I worked really hard on the doll and I think it looked awesome.

"Oh, shut up," I muttered, annoyed with that same damn line, "It's not just a doll."

"It is a voodoo doll," Nakusu jumped in with a frown, gesturing to the doll a bit more appreciatively than the others, "Haruke's dolls need a strand of hair and a drop of blood from the victim before the doll is activated. It also needs to look exactly like the victim, well, more or less. It's more dangerous than you think."

"I thought he wasn't a shinobi." Kaoru said. I twitched and glared at him.

"I don't have to be a stupid ninja to have better powers than you!" I snapped angrily, tightening my grip on the doll visibly. Kaoru winced and grasped his hands over his chest, my fingers having squeezed the lungs. I smirked. Mitsuru glared at me.

"Haruke, I don't know what you have against Kaoru, but it's not worth wasting your jutsu on. Come on, get rid of the jutsu already before mom and dad come home and you're grounded again." He warned. I rolled my eyes, loosening my grip so Kaoru could gasp for air.

"What's it matter? I'm practically grounded anyway. It's not fair. You guys can be ninja and I can't! Nakusu doesn't like getting close to people and you're a crybaby, Mitsuru! And Miwa is blind in one eye! Those are disabilities and you guys can still be shinobi!"

"That's not the same-"

"Is to!" I protested. I didn't see what the difference was! I couldn't feel pain, how is that disability different than being blind in one eye? They just knew I was too strong, that's why they didn't want me to be a shinobi. It was stupid!

"Stupid." I muttered aloud and held the doll out toward Kaoru, who glared at me as I pressed my finger down on its stomach. He winced, grabbing his stomach. See? People who could feel pain were a lot weaker. If someone had done that to me, I wouldn't be able to feel it and easily attack them, taking the doll and getting rid of the hair or drop of blood. I dug my nail down into the doll's stomach and I could easily make out a deep red mark on Kaoru's stomach before I released.

I beamed and brought the doll's arm to my mouth and bit down.

"OW! You brat!" Kaoru barked at me and swung out his hand at me. I waited and got ready to rip the doll's arm off, as much as I really rather not, but something stopped me, Kaoru too. They froze first as they noticed it first, but I didn't notice it because I didn't feel the breeze, but I saw it flutter my hair over my eyes and I winced.

Now? Of all times?

**(Tsukuyomi Ruriko)**

"Uchiha Haruke, you put that doll down RIGHT now." I commanded, glaring down at my son. Haruke twitched, but he obeyed, dropping the doll to the floor. The boy that the doll was made for gasped in relief, dropping to his knees and holding his stomach. Haruke turned halfway around to face me with a little stubborn pout, but I wasn't buying that puppy dog look this time. Oh no.

"Cancel the jutsu. Right now." I ordered. Haruke frowned, but bent down and took a strand of hair off the doll's head, dropping it to the floor where it fell into a puddle of spilled soup. Haruke stood up, holding the doll to his chest, like the small child he was.

Even so, he was smart and obviously a bit dangerous. It worried me. He acted like he was going to run away sometimes and I was always afraid I'd show up to dinner to find him missing. I frowned at last.

"Haruke… Go to your room." I murmured. Haruke just nodded, muttering under his breath about stupid people before he left. I looked at the strange boy, who immediately looked away from me. Something was awfully familiar about the structure of his face, about the odd glow in his eyes.

"Mitsuru, I thought I said no parties." I muttered. Mitsuru twitched and seemed to be trying to come up with an excuse, but Shisui jumped in.

"Hahaha! Sorry, Aunt Ruriko! Really we are! Kaoru here is a new friend of ours, but he had no where to stay and there was no way he could stay at our house, so we let him stay here. I hope that's okay, cuz, I mean, he's totally nice and cute! You can't deny that!" He pointed out, making the boy wince. I smiled faintly.

Shisui was such a blabber mouth, but knew just how to put me in a good mood. I was a sucker for kids.

"It's fine," I said at last with a nod, walking up to Kaoru and helping him to his feet, "Sorry about Haruke. He can be mean sometimes. I'm Ruriko. I'm glad my son and my nephews had heart to let you come into our home." Kaoru blinked up at me, looking a bit confused, probably at the hospitality.

After cleaning up the dining room, I got everyone calmed down and back together. We sat around the table, without Haruke or Itachi. Haruke was in his room still and Itachi was with Sasuke, filling the Hokage in on our mission… Oh, the mission. I frowned, glancing sideways toward Kaoru, who was sitting awkwardly across from Mitsuru.

The mission was to investigate the dead bodies of some Jounin found just outside the village. The bodies were in a terrible state. It was like someone had shredded them with a freaking cheese-grader or something and hacked them up. It was gross, but I had to be there and I had to take a bite… Yea, but it helped the case, really!

The flavor was odd. It was hard to tell the cause of death, but we could only guess that they were wounds from a shower of senbon or daggers. The reason why the Hokage had suspected the Akatsuki was because nearby folk had mentioned seeing a black cloak with red clouds, other claimed it was just a kid… In fact, Kaoru's description as I looked closely seemed to fit, but I found myself unable to pin the blame on him. He seemed much too innocent… But at the same time…

"So, mom, how was your mission?" Mitsuru asked eagerly, staring at me. I blinked and smiled at him.

"Great. Well, for us. Unfortunately, not for the bodies we examined." I replied, but said nothing more no matter how much Mitsuru or Shisui pried. I was told not to inform anyone and if they knew, they could be put at risk. I glanced at Kaoru, but he seemed to be keeping this tired expression the entire time.

After breakfast, Mitsuru walked Miwa and Manabu to the academy, taking his cousins and Kaoru with him. Meanwhile, I went upstairs to talk to Haruke. He must have been really mad at Kaoru to have attacked him, but why? Whatever the reason, I was on a mission to find out. I peered into his bedroom to find him holding the doll with a frown, digging his fingers into the doll's neck.

"Haruke?" I asked before coming in. Haruke jumped, then glared at me.

"What?" He demanded. I sighed and closed the door behind me, walking over to the bed and sat down beside him quietly. He shifted away with a frown, looking the other way and holding his doll close to him. He was always so protective of those things, even if they no longer worked. I glanced toward his closet. You'd think it was full of clothes, but it was full of dolls he'd made, based on everyone he's met in his decade of life.

It was a lot of dolls, though. I was proud that he could make so many, impressed by it since he was so young. I looked at Haruke and smiled lightly, reaching out and pulling him into a hug. He blinked and looked up at me past his hair, frowning.

"I'm sorry, Haruke," I apologized, "But you shouldn't do that, unless someone or something precious to you is in danger. That jutsu is too strong to use on people like that."

"But he said I was useless." Haruke muttered, relaxing in my hug. I frowned.

"You're not useless, Haruke."

"Duh, I know that," He huffed, making me smile, then looked away, "But he won't know that unless I show him. I can't show him a headband or anything because I'm not a ninja." He squeezed his doll, glaring at it as if the thought angered him beyond belief. It probably did and it saddened me too. I really would love for Haruke to be a shinobi, grow up and be strong, but it was just too dangerous.

"You don't need a headband to show that you're strong. You need to have control, confidence, and passion. If you have those things, you're stronger than anyone. Control over your powers and your temper will show how calm you are, that you can take on anything thrown at you. Confidence is great to have, but not too much or people will mistake it for cockiness and nobody needs that. You need to have passion for what you believe in. Don't let anyone change your mind."

"I guess," Haruke mumbled, then frowned, "But I hate everyone with a passion. That counts."

"Haruke."

"It's true! Mitsuru's a jerk. Miwa's a brat. Manabu's too quiet. Kaoru's stupid. Nakusu is cocky and Shisui's a big mouth. I can come up with something for everyone, even you, mom."

"I rather you not. Look, just think about what I said. Let it sink in and let it stick with you. I don't care what you do. Your father and I will always love you and always be proud of you." I explained quietly and kissed him on the cheek. Haruke's eyes flickered and he looked sad for a split second before nodding and looking down at his doll. I sighed and got up, heading out and closing the door behind me.

I walked into my room, heading to the closet. I had to get this all down. I swear, my hand was getting cramped. It's too bad I'm not ambidextrous or something or else this would be so much easier… I would love for Itachi to help, but I didn't want to show him anything until it was all finished… Well, what I had written so far. Diaries didn't end until the author died.

I flinched at the thought, shaking my head. That was a long time from now. I mean, come on. I was only twenty-eight. I had a while to go. I walked into the closet, flipping on the light and my eyes flashed, widening.

The jewelry case was broken open, the box inside, the box holding my diary, holding my story was gone.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: This one was a bit shorter as I decided this was the best place to end. I have yet to add the OCs because I still need more information about them, including the relationships and the teams. Three man squads still, all sensei currently available, but only two slots for Kakashi's team and Lee's team. If your sensei is a Jounin sensei, please inform me of that and their team. You may choose their teams. And don't worry! I still haven't chosen Mitsuru's team yet. lol. So if you want to put some OCs on a team with him, sensei or peers, that would be great! Well, I think that's about it for now… Thank you so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are loved very, very much!**

**ALSO NOTE: If I do not get enough OCs before the Chuunin Exams, I will provide back up OCs. I have no trouble creating new ones for teammates. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Short compared to the other chapters?**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within fan fiction, save for the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Mitsuru**

**Haruke**

**Miwa and Manabu**

**Shisui**

**Nakusu**

**Kaoru**

**Mitasu**

**A/N: Kaoru's POV**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Three: **Time to Rethink Things… Family Issues.**

I didn't have time to stick around and play, so I went straight to the guest room, snatching up the diary off the bed and taking off out the window. I really didn't want to leave them behind, especially Nakusu. We had just become friends. Oh well, I guess… I sighed and stuck the diary in my coat pocket before landing on my feet off a rooftop, a ways away from the house before shooting off again.

This was all I needed to give to _him_ and I'm off the hook for a bit… Only a bit, but that was good enough for me. I shot over a rooftop and landed in the trees, about to take off again when I sensed something bad. The sound of the wind whistling by as someone came at me from behind. I swung around and managed to swing my foot around to knock a punch away. I skidded back across the branch, standing up to face Ruriko, who glared at me.

"See, I thought it was nice that my kids were showing you hospitality. I'm disappointed you would abuse that." She stated, standing up. I stiffened, then frowned.

"Normally I wouldn't do that," I admitted with a shrug, "I would have been patient and I would stay, but I'm sort of on a mission for my dad, so I can't really stick around and chat, play the nice guy." Ruriko blinked, then frowned at me, but her tense, guarded posture didn't change.

"Your dad?" She questioned. I paused, debating whether to tell her or not. Well, why not? I mean, it's not like I'm hiding out anymore. Great. I love being honest.

"Uchiha Madara." I answered. Ruriko's eyes widened and her face drained of color before she flinched. I didn't know if I liked it when people did that or not. It was like they were either scared of my dad or they really hated him or both.

"Madara…? I didn't know he had a kid." She murmured. I shrugged.

"He doesn't particularly like me, so why would he broadcast me? Anyway, my mission was to find information on you. He said he made a deal with you a while back, about twelve years? I don't get why you would, but I'm not gonna get into that. I can just read it anyway. Your diary's pretty description. I like it, but I think this is the last you'll see of it." I added, then swung my hand out toward her. Ruriko's eyes flashed and she darted back as the dark marks shot off my fingers, making me wince slightly as they ripped at my skin.

They whipped forward, catching Ruriko by the wrist. She blinked, then growled and bit down on them, tearing hard. Pain shot up the threads and into my arm, but I immediately released the threads, tearing them up to slash her across the face. Ruriko winced, holding the slashes across her face, glaring at me.

"I'm not going to fight a kid." She stated. I frowned, letting the threads tear back into place on my hand.

"Then you'll get your ass kicked, by a kid." I responded and swung both my hands up, causing the threads to shoot from all my fingertips, merging together in a thick rope aiming at Ruriko's chest, but she jumped up and swung an arm back, making a hand sign with her other hand.

"Never mind," She snapped, "I can't stand disobedient brats! Lightening Style! Electric Disk!" A round flat circle of crackling electricity grew in the palm of her hand before she flung it forward at the threads aiming at her. I tore them back just in time, jumping as the disk shot right through the tree branch, tearing it in half. She landed on a higher branch while I skidded onto another one, just across from the previous.

She was making hand signs again and I bolted at her, whipping out my hand in front of me to block one of her kicks, swinging my foot up to kick her in the jaw, but she ducked her head to the side and spun away, skidding back on the heels of her boots. I ran at her again, my boots making a 'tak, tak, tak' sound before I jumped up and flipped over her, holding my hand down at her head. Ruriko jerked her head up and managed to duck to the side as I fell onto my side.

I rolled over and let my arm drop off the side of the branch as I frowned at her. I flexed my fingers the threads shooting out across the bottom of the branch as Ruriko whipped around to make another attack. They went around her ankles, making her gasp in surprise.

I concentrated hard into controlling the threads myself this time, letting them stab their sharp points into her skin. Ruriko winced and barked out a curse, falling to her knees and grabbing at the threads, hurriedly trying to rip them off her ankles, but each time one of them ripped, another one shot forward to take its place.

"In case you're wondering," I began, sliding up onto my knees and watching with a frown, "The marks that are attacking you, they weren't being controlled earlier. It's like having a living plant on my skin. It has more of a mind of its own, instincts of its own. Of course, it'll let me take control every so often, but the sucky part is that everything they touch has to die. They'll dig into your skin and try and travel through your veins, bursting them apart. It's slow and painful."

Ruriko gasped in pain, jolting back a little as one of the threads, vines, had slowly traveled up her leg to her thigh, blood trailing down from it as it shot out and burrowed back in at her hip.

"You little…" Ruriko winced before she could finish, panting hard. I started to send the rest of the things in, but someone swooped down and ripped the vines out with one strong pull before leaping away with Ruriko. I frowned and jerked my head up to a branch above me to see Itachi land with Ruriko in his arms.

"You're kinda late." Ruriko muttered to him, but Itachi merely gave a light smile before looking down at me.

"Hand over the diary or I'll force you." He commanded. I tore the threads back onto my skin, wincing at the pain it caused me before shrugging, standing.

"Come get me then." I challenged. Itachi's eyes flickered and I saw the familiar red Sharingan glow in them, making me smile lightly. Damn, I hate those eyes. I hate Sharingan. I had the stupid curse myself, but I never used it. I didn't want my eyes to look like _his_. They were so critical looking… An idea sprung into my head as I smirked.

I'll gouge those eyes out. That'd be one less Sharingan user in the world and thank the gods.

I ignored the pain that flowed through my head and back as the threads shot out, tearing my coat as they whipped forward. Itachi easily darted out of the way, hopping out of the way with Ruriko still in his arm. Her ankles were dribbling blood in puddles, dangerously fast too. I'm surprised her feet didn't fall off.

Itachi quickly set Ruriko down before whipping around and making a hand seal. I winced as a huge dome of flames shot at me. The marks weren't letting move, still sailing forward and shot through the flames, sending pain exploding into my back and giving me a splitting headache. The flaming hot pressure hit me, making me skid back along the branch and into the tree trunk.

More pain, but I was content to see that some of the threads had wrapped around Itachi's wrist tightly. I urged one of the threads to shoot for his eye, but shock went through me as the marks blasted right through him, causing him to burst into smoke. The threads whipped around in confusion and anger, sending pain into my spine again, but this time, the pain came from the right as a foot rammed into my ribs, knocking me through the air.

The threads rushed to catch up with me, but it was too late. I slammed right into a thin tree branch that went straight through my stomach. Blood flew from my mouth and splattered everywhere as my body grew numb. I winced and glanced up past my blood stained hair to see Itachi land on the tree branch. He looked a bit disappointed that I seemed dead…

Boy, was he wrong.

I straightened up a bit, watching Itachi glance at me with narrowed eyes and a frown. Ruriko looked pretty shocked too, staring at me from her perch. I gritted my teeth and tensed up in pain, yelling out as agony swept through me, the threads pushing me off the branch. I stumbled off, almost falling on my face, but the threads caught me.

"And this is why I hate these things." I muttered, but the threads themselves ignored me and quickly went to work. They shot into the hole in my gut, threading themselves around hurriedly, sewing up everything as fast as they could before shooting out my stomach, the hole slowly closing up before the marks stuck themselves back onto my skin. All that was left were the damned marks and lots of blood.

"I would have been happy if that killed me, but I guess it didn't, so I don't think I like you very much for failing. Keep trying." I replied flatly. Itachi looked uncomfortable, as if too much talk of death unnerved him. Ruriko glared at me.

"Just leave my diary and go! Or I swear…!"

"Swear what? You're about as useless as your son right now, so pipe down." I answered and she went off. I don't know if the rage numbed her pain or what, but she slid off the branch and bolted for me.

I yelped in shock when she caught the front of my shoulders, giving me a hard shake before my curse marks had any time to react.

"Snap out of it! I don't care what Madara told you! I don't know you to the core, but I _know_ you're not some psychopathic brainwashed murderer! Madara's a bastard! A cold-hearted bastard and he doesn't _deserve_ a child, especially one like you! Your talents are unbelievable! You're just too _scared_ to stand up to him! How can you be scared if you know those things will help you? Quit playing this game, you hear me? You drop my diary, you apologize to Itachi and Haruke, and you apologize for almost ripping my feet off!" She yelled in my face. I was stunned into silence.

Holy shit. She scared the freaking hell out of me! She leapt down here, risking her life, just so she can yell at me like…? Like a mom? I stared at her, my face probably scribbled with disbelief. Ruriko frowned at me, still gripping my shoulders before giving them a little shove and letting go to stumble back. Itachi immediately shot over, helping her stay standing.

"Don't be a brat…" Ruriko muttered to me, then gave a quick smile to Itachi, thanking him for catching her before she fell. He nodded, then looked at me, his eyes faded back to their dark onyx color.

"Ruriko's right. Madara's cruel and manipulative. It's better to just get away from him, not fight him, though." He added, glancing at Ruriko, who just huffed quietly. I lowered my eyes, then averted them with a frown.

"But hiding won't do anything… You both got away from him. I can't. I'm his son. He's still a terrible bastard and I hate him, but there's still something there. It's not easy for me to run away." I murmured. The thought sent chills up my spine. Of both excitement and fear. The thought of leaving him would be great as I would be free… But where would I go? Nobody would want me.

I was pretty much a freak of nature. Besides, I got along with some people of Akatsuki as well as a couple others… I grimaced a little, feeling the strings jerk off my back, careful to be quiet and slick as they slithered down the back of my legs, spreading out across the branch.

"Sorry." I stated and the marks shot forward, but Itachi swung Ruriko around, making her yelp and flail, catching a branch hanging from above as Itachi caught the same one, swinging his foot back, hard into my face. I skidded back, slammed right through the tree trunk and shot out the back, smashing into the ground below. Pain radiated throughout my body as I coughed up some blood.

The marks angrily swirled around me, trying to heal and defend at the same time, but my head had hit the ground pretty hard. I could feel myself slipping into a world of black…

**(Tsukuyomi Ruriko)**

Itachi shushed me before he scooped me up into his arms. I mentally cursed the kid, no matter how confused and cute he was. My ankles were throbbing, but the pain was numbed now as Itachi shot into the opening of the tree, hiding off to the side. We peered around the edge in time to see someone in a black cloak with red clouds swoop down.

Standing up, I immediately recognized Hoshigaki Kisame, giving a sort of snicker before he bent down, grabbing Kaoru up by the back of his jacket and easily tossing him over his shoulder. I leaned in to hear Kisame mutter to himself:

"Hehe, Madara was right…" I frowned and went to lean in more, but Itachi held me back with a shush. We waited before Kisame shot off, his chakra signature out of range. I frowned.

"Itachi."

"I'm taking you home… Then I'm going to talk with Sasuke. Madara's plotting something and we have to find out what it is before he does it."

"Ugh, I really didn't want to get involved with him…"

Itachi nodded in agreement before he took off, carrying me with him. My ankles were sore and I hissed past gritted teeth after we got home, calling Akira over so he could heal my ankles.

"You should take it easy for a bit. Those things got pretty deep inside your body… It's kinda gross." Akira added with a grin. I rolled my eyes and scowled, huffing as I leaned back on the couch, sighing with relief. Akira stood up slowly, picking up his coat off the table.

"So, you all set up for the Chuunin Exams coming up?" He asked casually. I blinked and looked at him.

"Chuunin Exams?"

"Yea, duh. My kids are going for sure. It's taking place in Getsugakure this year." Akira answered, giving me a cocked brow as if I should be ashamed. I grimaced to myself. I'd almost completely forgotten about the exams coming up. So much had been going on. I just nodded, averting my eyes as I folded my arms over my chest.

"Of course… Anyway, thanks, Akira. While you're at it, could you go upstairs and deal with Haruke?"

"Sure thing. Hopefully he doesn't kick and squirm again." Akira muttered, rolling his eyes as he went for the stairs. Itachi started to go after him, but I smacked the sofa cushion beside me, indicating that he sit. He sighed and took a seat, looking at me with a frown. I waited. We both heard yelling from upstairs, followed by a crash before there was silence again.

Only the sound of shoes on the wooden floors, the front door closing and the gentle summer breeze that billowed the pale blue curtains of the living room windows.

"You forgot about the exams, didn't you?" Itachi asked at last, leaning back on the sofa. I sighed tiredly, throwing my head back to stare up at the ceiling.

"Yea. Completely. I feel terrible. Mitsuru's team is probably already entered and I didn't even bother to talk to him about it." I muttered. Itachi shrugged, glancing toward the window.

"You were a bit tied up. I'm sure he understands. So long as you know that we have to go for the final rounds to watch."

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world… I just need to get more information on the exams… I think I'm going to go find Osamu, see if he knows anything."

"Hn." Itachi responded flatly, the obvious expression of dull aggravation evident. I really had no idea why _Itachi_ didn't like Osamu. Most people didn't like how he was flirty and pretty much as immature as he was when I met him, but Itachi seemed to have reasons that even I didn't comprehend. I just shrugged and started to stand up, ignoring the dull throbbing pain in my ankles. Itachi frowned.

"Ruriko. Akira told you to be careful. Your ankles weren't all that strong in the first place." He pointed out, standing with me and taking my elbow. I shook my head.

"I'm fine. I just need to keep my pace at a walk is all. If you're so worried, come with me."

"… Fine." Itachi agreed and we left, making sure to leave a note behind when the kids gathered for lunch. We walked outside into the morning sunlight, heading toward Osamu's home. I had hoped the walk would be nice and peaceful, but leave it to Itachi to make the moment tense and serious.

"What exactly did Kaoru take with him?" Itachi asked as we walked down the street. I frowned, shoving a hand in the pocket of my coat, my eyes drifting in the opposite direction.

"My diary." I replied honestly. I learned that lying to your husband is pretty much impossible, whether intentionally or not. Itachi frowned.

"Diary? I didn't know you kept a diary."

"I didn't mention it because I actually wanted to get it published as a book. Unfortunately, it has some pretty bad content being the rough draft. It's got things I was planning on taking out before I published it."

"Why didn't you hide it somewhere safer?"

"How was I supposed to know someone was going to go in and steal it? It was in the closet, the jewelry case."

"Well, he's probably going to take it back to Madara now and he'll review it, probably find some secrets that you learned about Konohagakure."

"Tch… Let's see that work out." I muttered and the subject died right then and there. We continued walking in silence, both of us going off into our own little worlds until we came to Osamu's front door and I knocked innocently with my knuckles. I waited, glancing toward Itachi, who was purposely looking off in the other direction. I rolled my eyes and the door opened to reveal Osamu's wife, Kairi. She was pretty, I suppose, with a defiant personality that pretty much put me off.

"Oh, it's you," She mused dully, her eyes giving me a quick once over before she glanced over her shoulder rather comically and shouted, "OSAMU! COMPANY FOR YOU!"

"I'm coming! Ow, you shouldn't leave your- Ruriko! Wow, usually I'm the one who has to visit you." Osamu exclaimed as he stepped into view. Tall and not bad looking with brunette hair in a super spiky fashion to match his very light brown eyes, he was dressed in a navy jumper with the sleeves ending at his elbows and his trousers matching to his calves and bandages making up the rest of the way to his navy sandals. He also wore a slate gray jacket without sleeves, unzipped, with black trims, thick neck guard and padded shoulders; Konoha's symbol adorning the back in black.

"Oh, shut up," I stated, folding my arms over my chest, "We're not here to catch up on old times or anything. I need information on the Chuunin Exams as I've been way too busy to- What the hell are you staring at?" I stopped in mid-sentence to glare at the way he was grinning with his hands on his hips in almost a cocky fashion. Boy, sometimes I just wanted to…

"Oh, nothing, nothing. I really can't get over the fact that you're just confident in the fact that you grew only two inches in height, but right here…" He gestured with his hands over his chest, making groping motions. I glared at him, feeling my face grow hot and red in both embarrassment and anger.

"You perverted little- I swear! You're as bad as the Hokage! I feel sorry for Kairi!"

"I don't. She gets to see me every day! Both casually and in bed-"

"I don't even wanna hear it," I smacked my hand in his face, making him yelp and comically flail about, "I'm here on business!"

"At least you're straightforward." Osamu muttered, rubbing his sore nose and glancing at Itachi for a split second before looking back at me. I frowned, but Osamu decided against wasting my time for the moment as he led us into the living room where we sat down.

"All right, well, what do you already know about the exams?" Osamu asked, leaning back comfortably with his hands behind his head, which was cocked slightly with a smirk on his face. I kept my arms folded tightly and my leg resting on my knee.

"I know that it takes place in Getsugakure, the Hidden Moon Village."

"Yup. There's only three parts to it as there are apparently less teams this time around. I think there's only a dozen or so."

"Damn."

"That's what I said. I know there's several from Konohagakure, a couple from Sunagakure, maybe one or two from Kumogakure, some from Kirigakure and there's a team entering from Amegakure."

"Ugh. Well, that's great… Hopefully no one I've ever heard of. I heard Akatsuki was still controlling that village."

"Pretty much! However, they are still allowed to enter the exams, as stupid as it sounds. I don't even understand it and there's no way I'm asking Naruto about it… So, your son is gonna be in the exams, right?" Osamu asked casually, tilting his head when I shifted to get up and leave. I paused, settling back down.

"Yea. So are my nephews. I'm excited to see how they do. I just hope nothing big and evil happens to ruin their chances of winning… Are you going to the exams?"

"Sure. It's one of the biggest events of the world. I'm taking Kairi and Hiro with me too." Osamu laughed, gesturing his thumb through the doorway behind him, where an eight-year-old boy with hair similar to Osamu's held back with a bandana ducked away. I smirked.

Osamu's kid was definitely adorable as he was just a year younger than Miwa and Manabu and in the same class in the academy. He was kind of a scaredy cat, but quite frankly, it just added to how cute he was. However, he was a curious boy and seemed pretty much interested in anything.

"Well, thanks for the information, Osamu. I really appreciate it." I said, getting to my feet and Itachi almost jumping up to help when I wobbled slightly. Osamu raised an eyebrow, getting to his feet.

"You all right? You almost fell on your face."

"Oh, be quiet. I'm fine. My ankles are just sore from a recent mission." I retorted, nodding to Itachi that I was all right as I balanced out. Osamu shocked me by almost hanging on my neck, making me flail a little.

"HEY!"

"Aw, that's too bad! I was hoping to challenge you to another rematch!"

"Hell no! You cheated last time!"

"I did not! You just chickened out is all."

"LIAR! I'll beat your brains out if you keep blabbing like that! And will you get off me? I think I just said my ankles were sore!"

"Why do you think I took the time to hug you? I was hoping you'd fall over."

"You're dead."

**(Uchiha Mitsuru)**

I was still at a loss when I found out that Kaoru had vanished. It was totally confusing and Miwa kept complaining about it, demanding where he went, but she didn't complain long as mom and dad came home, forcing her and Manabu to work on their homework together.

It bothered me also when they came home as mom looked a bit tired and she almost fell over a few times. When I asked dad, he just said she stepped wrong off the stairs. I didn't really believe it, but by the look my dad gave me when I asked, it meant don't ask again and I respected them both enough to stay quiet.

Staying home was just too depressing, though. My mom was either sleeping or going through this huge stack of papers in her room. I peeked in to find her scattering files, scrolls, and books everywhere, cursing out loud. My dad was in the kitchen, helping Manabu and Miwa while Haruke had stayed in his room all day, probably pissed that he couldn't hurt Kaoru earlier.

I decided to step outside, heading into town with my hands in my pockets and my eyes on the path ahead of me. I was tempted to turn back around at one point as I was growing tired, but I was shocked wide awake when was basically tackled from behind, an embarrassing yelp emitting from me as I stumbled to catch my balance, flailing.

"WHAT THE HELL?" I demanded, whipping around and glaring at my teammate, Hatake Sayuri. She was an obnoxious and cocky girl, older than me by two years and constantly reminding me. Her hair was short and silver, messy like she didn't bother to fix it when she woke up, save for a long braided lock that hung to the right of her face with three beads in it. Her eyes were dark, reminding me of her dad's.

She wore a lilac skirt halfway down her thigh with diagonally cuts of navy blue with gray sports on the slits. Over top was another skirt, navy blue and going in the opposite direction with a lilac border. Her top was navy blue, skin-tight and looked like the top part of a jumpsuit with sleeves to her knuckles. Lilac circles adorned back of both hands of the sleeves that also matched the oval shapes on the sides of the top as well as the circles on her shoulders. A circle was cut out in the back of her top, her headband around her waist. I could see a fishnet top underneath. She also wore black shorts underneath her skirts and matching sandals.

"HA. What'd ya know! Even coming up behind you makes your eyes water up like that!" Sayuri taunted, jabbing a finger at my eyes. I blinked and smacked my hand over them, the corner of my mouth twitching in annoyance.

"I'm not crying, damn it! You just scared the hell outta me! I was thinking about something and quit laughing! I won't hesitate to shove my foot down your throat!"

"I'd like to see you try! Sensei even said I could beat you!"

"How do you know anyway? His grammar's as bad as yours!"

"What did you say?"

"Sayuri, don't hassle him. You're wasting your time." A voice said and I smacked my forehead, glancing out the corner of my eye to see Sayuri's twin brother, Sakumo, approaching. He was taller than me (which pissed me off), his hair salmon-colored like his mother's and styled into dreadlocks, ending at his shoulders and held back with his headband. His right eye was black, the left dark green, nearly black.

He dressed in a tan baggy, but thin open jacket with a hood, a thin turquoise stripe going around each sleeve that ended at his elbows. Underneath he wore a turquoise tank top and dark gray shorts to his knees in a billowy fashion. His sandals matched his shorts.

"Hmph." Even so, Sayuri just smirked at me and I twitched, folding my arms over my chest, while trying to brush my hand by my eyes to make sure they weren't as watery as they seemed.

"I'm surprised you're even awake." I muttered to Sakumo, who just looked at me as if he were about to fall asleep.

"Shopping for the parents," He answered casually, "Sorry about the bother."

"Don't apologize!" Sayuri whined, folding her arms over her chest. I scowled at her.

"At least he has some manners! I thought girls were supposed to be pretty well-mannered too! Oh, wait! I forgot! You aren't a girl!" I insulted. Sayuri's eyes flashed and she clenched her fists as she blushed lightly, her expression showing comical anger that just made me smirk.

"Excuse me? You wanna try saying that again?" She demanded. I stuck out my tongue in return and Sayuri opened her mouth, probably to start a roaring rant about how she could kick my butt, however, Sakumo thankfully cut her off.

"Would you look at the time? Come on, Sayuri. There are things to do at the place with the person and the stuff." He sighed naturally, taking her by the elbow and walking her off. I could still hear Sayuri complaining as they left and I sighed with relief. It was almost hard to believe she was on my team… It could be worse, I guess.

I could have Shisui on my team.

The thought made me shudder and bolt for home.

**(Uchiha Shisui)**

I sneezed, clamping a hand over my nose and making a face of disgust. That was gross. I hated sneezing! Oh, but it meant someone was talking about me… Yay! I mean, really. Who wouldn't be talking about me? I knew almost everyone in Konohagakure anyway!

I dropped the towel from my head onto the bed, letting my blue hair fall loose over my shoulders. I grabbed my brush, running the rough bristles through it when a knock at my door made me jump and whip around. Nakusu peeked in a bit flatly, like he always did, but it didn't matter. He was still totally cute, but don't take that the wrong way, I mean, come on! He was my baby brother for cryin' out loud!

"Nakusu! Thanks for knocking. Jackass downstairs thinks the sign is there for nothing." I muttered, fetching a hairclip from my dresser to put my hair up. Nakusu cocked a brow at the 'nickname' I'd given our so-called father before he sighed, leaning on the doorframe with folded arms.

"Said man would like you to come downstairs for dinner. Please, do the world a favor and refrain from arguing with him as today is simply not the day for your bickering." He informed me almost monotone-like. I rolled my eyes, putting a hand on my hip and gesturing to the floor.

"He's the one that always starts it! You hear him! Nag, nag, nag! He won't shut up, it's like I have to shove my foot in his mouth to just muffle it!"

"Shisui. Just ignore it."

"Says you. You're always in Lala Land."

"It is called the dictionary. Now come on or he will get angry." Nakusu insisted, pushing off the doorframe. I sighed miserably, but eventually followed Nakusu down the stairs, almost stepping on his heels. He was so slowww!

I wanted to yell that at him and hang on him, but I saw our dad already setting the table, so I shut my mouth. He was bound to nag at me for just speaking. I hated him, really, I did. Everyone knew him as Uchiha Sasuke, the greatest Uchiha to ever grace the earth with his great looks, awesome talent, and millions of achievements. However, at home, he was like the spawn of the devil.

He wasn't that bad when mom was around. They seemed to be normal parents, maybe a little on the strict side, but okay. Dad never complained to me before and he even smiled sometimes, but then something weird happened. I don't know why either. It happened a little while after Nakusu was born, maybe a year or two.

Dad started getting bossy and took on a bad attitude. He got nasty with mom until she couldn't stand it anymore. I knew it hurt her too, but she left him anyway and she wouldn't take us with her. I didn't know if I was mad or just annoyed. It's not like I liked her that much either. She was like a fan girl about dad.

Anyway, she got on with her life and I guess she adopted some kid named Mitasu, but I had never officially met him. I've only seen him around. As for my dad, he just acted like he didn't care and even helped her pack up, which seemed to piss her off more than anything. Parents were so weird.

Nakusu and I sat down, dad following after he set the dishes out. He went right to eating quietly, avoiding conversation like he always did. It was so awkward sometimes because I always had things to talk about! I wanted to mention something, but it would just start up and argument and Nakusu sounded like he really didn't want to hear it, so I tried my best to stay quiet.

I loved Nakusu so very much. He could be a smart ass, because duh, he's so super smart that he was talking not that long after he was freaking born! I swear, I'm not kidding! I was so happy to have a smart brother and not to mention, he was completely adorable and hilarious when he made fun of Kakashi-sensei. So, I tried to respect his requests and tried to be careful with arguments. I could tell they were stressing him out.

It didn't help that the exams were also coming up! I was excited, but at the same time nervous. My other two teammates, Haruhi and Riko, seemed pretty into it too. I was so glad Kotori-sensei signed us up, just as eager as us. However, I could tell Nakusu seemed nervous about it. It was obvious that he could pass any written part of the exam without even trying, but the physical parts were probably bothering him the most.

His teammates, Yuriye and Yuuma, would probably have no problem tackling those parts and I think that bothered him, but he never said anything. I tried asking, but he just put his hand in my face… Or his foot.

The sound of my dad's chair scraping on the floor brought me back to cold hard reality. I glanced up, watching him push away from the table, an uncomfortable look on his face as he stood up. Nakusu ignored him and poked at his food. I frowned and looked up my dad.

"Where ya goin'?" I asked, leaning on my elbow on the table, resting my chin on my knuckles. Dad frowned before shaking his head.

"I can't believe I thought I could cook. This is a waste of time. You can throw it out and I'll just go pick something up from that shop down the street." He muttered, obviously super pissed. I glanced at the meal; misshapen onigiri, burnt chicken with old teriyaki sauce, and, of course, tomato, which looked like it was shredded up with a knife.

"Looks fine to me." I answered. I wasn't trying to be a jackass or anything because I wasn't picky about my food, but dad just rolled his eyes.

"Don't patronize me, Shisui. Just throw it out and I'll be back in five minutes. If anything's out of place when I get back…" His voice trailed and he was out of the room in a flash, making me roll my eyes as I shoved the plate. Unfortunately, I did it a little too hard and not bothering to be careful as the plate shot across the table and smashed into the wall near the sink. I frowned. Nakusu sighed irritably.

"Shisui…"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" I cried, jumping up. Nakusu just sighed again as I hurriedly trying to clean up the mess, dropping it all in the garbage with a huff. I took Nakusu's plate and threw it away before taking a seat on the tabletop. If dad walked in and saw that, he'd kick my ass, which was why I did it anyway.

"Tch. What a jerk. I was just trying to be nice. Did you see that?" I demanded, flipping a hand out toward where dad left. Nakusu gave one nod and leaned on his knuckles, adjusting his headband.

"He is just stressed. Leave him be."

"Don't play dumb! I know he's bothering you too."

"Not enough for me to complain. I have no right anyway." Nakusu muttered, averting his visible eye toward the doorway. For a split second, I thought I saw him look sad and it made me feel sad too. I didn't want him to be upset. And what did he mean by 'no right' anyway? Everyone was allowed to complain when they wanted to. Sure, not all the time like dad, but every so often.

Looking on the bright side should take up the rest of your time!

"Nakusu-"

"He is busy with his job, doing things for Lord Hokage, and probably trying to find a girlfriend… He is probably just lonely." Nakusu added quietly, reaching up to take off his headband and set it on the table, resting his head on his folded arms. I frowned.

"I guess… But he doesn't have to take it out on us. I don't get why you defend him, like, all the time." I pointed out. Nakusu just shrugged.

"It is our job as his children, no matter how you look at it." He answered. I sighed. He knew just how to make me feel bad, even about being mean to a jerk like Uchiha Sasuke.

I opened my mouth to point out that he would never back us up, physical battle or mental battle, but a yell made me yelp in turn.

"Shisui!" I hopped off the table as soon as I heard dad's voice, glancing toward the doorway to see him frowning, holding a bag of food.

"Oops." I replied with a light shrug. He glared.

"Sit in a chair, not the tabletop." He snapped. I frowned and glanced at Nakusu, who just hid his face in his hands as if he were hiding away from the on-coming argument, but I just pursed my lips and plopped in my chair without a word. I saw a look of relief cross my dad's face rather than Nakusu's as he sat down, taking out a few bento boxes, easily flicking them across the table at us.

"You can just take them to your rooms if you want. There's no point in sitting here." He added, but he made no move to get up. Nakusu got up without a word and left, taking his headband with him. I glanced at dad to see his reaction, but he just lowered his eyes with a tired, fatigued expression as he tore the plastic covering off the bento.

"Uh… Dad?" I asked. He didn't look at me, keeping his eyes downcast.

"Hm?"

"It's probably, like, none of my business, but do you miss mom like Nakusu does?" I questioned, tilting my head. He blinked and looked up at me past the bangs that he let hang in his face, then back at his bento with a frown.

"He misses her? He doesn't seem to show it." He replied, stirring his chopsticks through his rice. I frowned.

"Don't be like that. He's just like you. You know, all quiet and trying to be cool about everything." I mumbled, averting my eyes when he glared at me.

"I'm honest about what I do. I don't miss her. She was just another one of those girls, Shisui, but then again, you wouldn't know, would you?" He offered and I stiffened, digging my nails into the chair I sat in, feeling my nails dig holes right into them.

He always had to do that! He always had to mention _that_! It always bugged me! It was one of the reasons people just automatically assumed I was a bad person! Just because I liked guys over girls didn't mean I was like some kind of demonic _thing_!

"Shut up." I spoke without thinking. He frowned.

"Leave."

"Gladly." I snapped and stood up, shoving my chair back in the process and almost snapping one of the legs off in the process, which made dad 'tch' in annoyance. I walked out of the room, down the hallway, and out the front door, almost knocking it off the hinges. I heard my dad yell something at me, but I totally ignored it. The asshole.

My freaking God! One fucking comment and he has to act like a dumbass! I rolled my eyes at the thought and just plopped down on the steps to the front door, resting my head in my hands with a frown.

I wish things would get better… Maybe after I become a Chuunin, I'll have more money to buy my own apartment near all my friends. Maybe I can take Nakusu with me.

Leave dad to be all by himself. It'd be the best for him anyway…

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Short compared to my other chapters, sorry. lol. I was running out of time as school has started and that means a bedtime, sadly enough. :/ Well, anyway, this is the beginning of the Chuunin Exam arc! So far, I think I have all the characters that I need. Also, I am super sorry if your OC doesn't pop up as frequently as you would have liked as it probably means you didn't provide me without enough details to work with. Anyway, so I guess that's it. Ah, but if you send me an OC bio that is detailed enough, including teammates and sensei for the exams, I may consider adding them in. :) So, that's it. xD Thank you so uber much for reading, hope the characters are in character (more will be showing up bit by bit, gotta give me some time), and your reviews are greatly appreciated! Let's see if we can beat the reviews for **_**Shadows of Heroes**_** :D!**


	4. Chapter 4

**ANOTHER UPDATE! WOO! Mostly just describing the Konohagakure teams. O:**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters used within this fan fiction, save for:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Mitsuru**

**Haruke**

**Miwa and Manabu**

**Shisui and Nakusu**

**Hyuuga Uwasa**

**Akimichi Kigeki**

**Yamanaka Tsume**

**Nara Hitsugi**

**Haruno Mitasu**

**Aburame Zakuro**

**Lei**

**(LOTS OF EM :B)**

**A/N: Mitsuru's POV**

****

Chapter Four: **A Team is a Team! You Jinxed Them!**

_Faster_! I had to move faster! I kicked off the tree branch and did a flip, landing on another and whipping out a kunai at the gentle rustling of leaves behind me. I whipped around, my Sharingan turned on and scanning the trees quickly. I saw a flash of blue, but it vanished as soon as I swung my kunai toward it. I frowned, then winced as Sayuri darted up in front of me, swiping a kunai up.

"Too slow!" She declared with a smirk and the blade of the weapon sliced right across my face, making me yelp and clasp my hands over my nose.

"OW! Holy crap! Ow, that stings!" I cried, gasping in pain as my face burned. Sayuri landed on the same branch as me, practically standing against me with a taunting grin on her face. Judging by the way she was blurring, my eyes were welling up and I shut them tightly and quickly before opening them, shoving into her. Sayuri yelped and flailed, grabbing me and dragging me to the ground with her.

"Get off me!" Sayuri ordered angrily, her fists clenched as she shoved me off her. I rolled away, throwing myself into a sitting position and glaring at her with my arm over my cut nose.

"Are you stupid? You could have put my eye out!" I snapped. Sayuri gave me a deadpan expression, her lower lip slightly pushed out.

"And this is bad because…?"

"… I'm giving you a five second head start." I seethed and Sayuri laughed, so I scrambled to my feet, but a grip caught the back of my shirt by the black hood, making me yelp and choke. Sayuri stopped laughing to wince before huffing, folding her arms tightly over her chest.

"Hmph. It's about time, Uwasa. Roku-sensei almost thought you died." She said, rising to her feet and dusting herself off before folding her arms back over her chest. Uwasa let go of me, making me whip and glare at him. He just looked at us flatly with his whitish purple eyes, his dark violet hair spiky and short on the right side, the spikes on the left looser and longer to about his shoulder. He wore a deep purple sash over his left shoulder, a white t-shirt with a collar that hid some of his mouth underneath. His sash matched his pants that were stuffed into shin-high stockings that only went around his foot, but he didn't wear any shoes.

"Roku-sensei sent me here to fetch you two after he found me. We're having tea." Uwasa stated calmly, putting a hand on his hip in almost a know-it-all fashion. Sayuri and I exchanged curious, but weird looks before we shrugged and followed Uwasa.

"I am so pumped for the exams," Sayuri boosted, "We're going to pass with flying colors, I'm sure of it! I mean, seriously. If we're really pitted up against the shinobi I think we're up against, then it's a sure win."

"I'll laugh if you end up failing the first portion." I replied with a smirk and winced when she punched me in the shoulder before rolling her eyes.

"Oh, please. It'll be a piece of cake! I hear they're getting uncreative with the exams, so they're probably gonna do what they did last year. Either way, I'm so gonna pass it and you two better do the same! It's always disgraceful being on a team with Crybaby Uchiha."

"I am not a crybaby!" I protested angrily, clenching my fists tightly enough to turn my knuckles white. Uwasa sighed, averting his eyes.

"No one likes a cocky brat, Sayuri, so try not to brag like that or karma's going to beat you into the dirt… And Mitsuru, you are a bit of a crybaby." He said with a shrug, earning a glare from both Sayuri and I.

"As if you're one to talk!" Sayuri snorted.

"Yea, really, Uwasa! You're pretty much a freak of nature!" I snapped angrily. Uwasa pursed his lips, rolling his eyes up to the sky before sighing in exasperation.

"My flexibility isn't as abnormal as your cannibalism and Sayuri's big mouth."

"I swear to the gods…" Sayuri began threateningly, but I just elbowed her in the ribs and held a finger to my lips before leaning to her ear.

"Ignore him. He's just on his period." I whispered and Sayuri laughed out loud before clamping a hand on her mouth when Uwasa gave her a curious stare. Moments later, Uwasa led us into a nice café. Sitting in a booth at the very corner of the café with cups of honey lemon tea was our sensei, Roku. He was actually the youngest sensei to pass the Jounin exams to become a teacher and apparently really good friends with my mom.

Like, really good friends. It was a little creepy sometimes, but he was nice overall. He had some trouble explaining things and tended to skip over words, but mom said it was because he learned to talk later than most.

He was pretty tall with dark brown hair that hung pretty much loose and straight, save for a strand near his temple that was tied with a small bead. His eyes were really gold, like, jewelry gold, not butterscotch or yellow. He dressed in a beige shirt with loose, elbow-length sleeves with silver hoops going around the ends of them, so he jingled when he walked. He also wore a white scarf around his waist in a loose bow that he hooked skewers onto. I had no idea why he did it either. It was weird. He also wore black pants and matching ninja shoes, his headband on his forehead. Of course, an average Jounin vest completed his uniform.

"You found them," Roku greeted Uwasa with a smile, tilting his head at us, "Very good. Let's sit down for tea." We sat down, all of us sighing with relief at the warmth and comfort that the tea provided.

"So, what's this meeting about, sensei?" Sayuri asked, taking a peek out the window as cozy deep blue clouds coated the sky. Roku followed her gaze with a light smile before looking back at us with a cocked head.

"Ne, the Chuunin Exams are coming up. We leave in two days and should arrive within four or three, depend on how fast we move… Ah, I hope there will be no fighting on the way there, yes?" He asked, eyeing Sayuri and I closely. We both stiffened.

"It's not my fault he's a baby." Sayuri muttered.

"Oh, be quiet. Your head's so big, it's rolling off your shoulders."

"I'm rubber, your glue!"

"Bite me!" I snarled, but Roku smacked the bottom of his cup on the table, clearing his throat and making Sayuri and I be quiet. Uwasa just sighed, letting his eyes drift to the side. Roku smiled again.

"Like that. Don't do that, please. We are friends and friends do not fight. We have disagreements, but look past those and think of good times… Now, I think rest would be good now, so no more missions or training until we get to Getsugakure. Sleep, spend time with family before we go, yes? Don't leave with bad taste." He explained. We nodded and continued to drink the tea before we got up to leave.

I guess Roku was right… I could TRY and be nice to Sayuri.

I stepped out of the booth, stepping side for Sayuri, who just smirked at me as if to say 'about time you started treating me like a queen'.

… FORGET BEING NICE.

**(Uchiha Shisui)**

I sighed miserably, swinging my legs back and forth before glancing up past the tree leaves and my blue hair to see my teammates sparring. Seriously! Didn't Kotori-sensei mention something about taking it easy or were they sooo not paying attention?

I giggled aloud, almost falling off the branch when Riko knocked Haruhi skidding through the dirt and splashing into the river nearby. Haruhi cursed out loud and went still, glaring past his wet, loosely spiked black hair with dark purple-black eyes. Riko just smirked, jumping up into a standing position confidently.

"My point!" She declared, winking a bright blue eye. She was totally cute for a girl and I was so glad she was on my team with Haruhi, who had the tendency to be almost like my dad! Her light brown hair was held back in a bobble with the style in two hoops.

She dressed in a fishnet jumpsuit that ended at her elbows and knees with black rims, a black jacket to her shoulders and at her feet over top of it, Konoha's symbol on the back in white. A gray tank top was settled under the top part of the fishnet and a black belt went around her waist, attached was a curved blade that she loved using in close combat.

As for Haruhi, he wore simple blue shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back, white shorts, and average ninja shoes, his headband on his forehead. He was simple like that, but he was still a cute cousin of mine as his mother was the cousin to my father and uncle.

"I'm tired." Haruhi finally admitted, frowning as he stayed sitting in the river. Riko blinked and gave a little pout, but shrugged before putting her hands on her hips.

"Fine. Be that way!" She stated, then glanced up at me and I beamed at her. It was almost like she was checking me for approval on her battle skills. She was a great fighter and I was so proud of her being on my team. I flipped off the tree branch, glancing at Haruhi, who was rising out of the river, but stopped suddenly.

"What? Fish in your pants?" I asked with a raised eyebrow as Riko laughed, trying to hide it behind her hand. Haruhi scowled at me before looking down into the water, then up at the sky.

"I just noticed how cloudy it got all of a sudden." He muttered. Riko and I lifted our eyes to the sky, studying the thick dark clouds. I shrugged, putting a hand on my hip.

"It should pass soon." I said with a sigh. Riko pouted a little before yelping when the sky crackled and rumbled.

"Holy crap! I hope it doesn't storm on our way to Getsugakure. Sensei said we're taking off tomorrow." She pointed out, glancing up at the sky with a frown as the sky lit up. Haruhi walked out of the river, leaving little puddles, giving himself a little shake to get the cold water off. I could see his teeth chattering and I cocked a brow, tilting my head noticeably to stare at him, but he pushed on my chest to get me away.

"It's just a storm. We should probably-"

"Hey, we should go to my house! My dad's out on a mission and we can have the house to ourselves! Oh, well, until Nakusu comes home, but yea, other than that…" My voice trailed. Riko beamed.

"That sounds great! I like your bed too, Shisui! It's so warm~ Most water beds aren't like that."

"I know, right?"

"Shisui, what if Sasuke does come home early?" Haruhi asked with a frown, squeezing excess water from his hair. I frowned, then shrugged.

"He can deal with it. Besides, he likes you guys, so no worries, ne?" I grinned. Haruhi and Riko shared looks before nodding and following me back toward the house. It was just my luck that I saw my dad standing on the porch when we came jogging through the rain that had started up. I also noticed Kotori-sensei standing across from him with a file folder in her hand.

"… Necessary. Don't waste my time." Kotori was saying, sounding pretty peeved at something my dad had just finished saying. Sasuke rolled his eyes and snatched the folder.

"Understood, understood. I'm starting to wonder if you're rubbing off on Shisui." He muttered, then glanced up as we came up the stairs onto the porch. I frowned at him automatically. Kotori looked up, sighing a little.

"There you are. I coulda sworn I mentioned something about resting up?" She mused, tapping her foot. I grinned.

"I was doing all the resting. They kept training." I responded cheerfully as Kotori-sensei always put me in a great mood. She was like a mother to me and it was the greatest feeling ever.

"I beat Haruhi!" Riko made sure to announce, holding a fist in the air. Kotori laughed and Haruhi just looked like he was trying not to pout or sulk. Kotori patted him on the head with a smile, tilting her head.

"You guys are improving! That's awesome! And so are your obedient skills." She added under her breath, puckering her lips in distaste and giving Haruhi and Riko an extra hard pat on the head, making them both yelp. I smirked and for some reason, my eyes flickered to the side to see my dad. He was frowning at us, his grip on the file folder tight enough to almost rip it if Kotori hadn't of noticed and given him a smack on the hand.

"Cool it," Kotori commanded, "That file is really important. It's got photos in it as well. Kakashi and I did some pretty hard digging to get that for you, so treat it good."

"Right," Sasuke muttered, then locked his attention on me, "Go inside." I rolled my eyes and gestured for Riko and Haruhi to follow, glancing over my shoulder to glare at my dad before going in. He was such a pain in the ass. And people wondered why I hated him.

Hmph.

**(Uchiha Nakusu)**

I hated the rain. It was sticky and reeked of soil, a scent that I was not particularly fond of it as it was filthy. The scent of filth was not enjoyable at all. I leaned back in the rickety wooden chair at the dango shop, watching past my navy hair as my eyes followed Kakashi-sensei. He came around the table, joining myself as well as my two teammates.

Kuromura Yuuma, twelve-years-old with very dark brown hair, commonly mistaken as black and it hung to his shoulder, completely straight as some hung over his shoulder the rest continuing past. He had a one-sided fringe and his eyes were deep green. He wore a white, long-sleeved top with a short sleeved dark green shirt over it with slits in the shoulders and black shorts that ended at his knees, matching his sandals. Thin metal arm protectors and the headband around his neck made up the rest of his outfit.

My last teammate was Sasaki Yuriye. A thirteen-year-old female with light green hair in a bob, two longer strands ending near her chin, matching her eyes and pale skin. She dressed in a light gray tank-top zipper with dark trims that matched her baggy arm warmers that reached her fingertips. She wore her black headband around her neck, her pants light gray with darker gray fur around the bottoms and black sandals.

"No conversation?" Kakashi asked with a sigh as took a seat, setting a plate of dango down at the center of the table. I glanced up, then gave a light shrug.

"I am simply tired." I answered.

"Definitely," Yuriye yawned, "I stayed up looking through a book with information on Getsugakure. We can't just go there without checking up on it." Kakashi closed his visible eye in a one-eyed smile. Yuuma averted his eyes and just shrugged so plainly.

"I'm so used to someone being super talkative." Kakashi sighed, resting his chin in his palm, his eye sweeping over as if expecting someone to speak. Yuriye looked from Yuuma to me and back again before smiling at Kakashi.

"Uh, okay! I'll talk if you want, sensei."

"That'd be great. Are you excited for the exams?"

"Most definitely! Well, I'm a little nervous, but excited at the same time as I've never stayed in another village for almost a month! It's like a vacation, sorta…"

"If you count exams as vacations." Yuuma spoke quietly, glancing at Yuriye, who blushed lightly as if she had said the wrong thing. I frowned at Yuuma to flustering her and jumped into the conversation.

"She means vacation from missions." I said flatly. Yuuma frowned, but said nothing else. It was probably all he had in his head for that entire day. He was not talkative and Kakashi-sensei knew that, but he never gave up in trying to get even a word out of him. I knew it was a waste of time as Yuuma was built only to fight, only to listen.

In my opinion at least.

Much different from Yuriye, who was kind… Possibly a bit too kind for her own good as she had the tendency to let people walk over her. I never mentioned how it bothered me from time to time. She probably does not even notice.

"And you two? How're you feeling for the exams?" Kakashi asked casually, giving Yuriye a little nod as if to calm her. Yuriye sighed a little, smiling comfortably before tilting her head toward me. I looked at her, then let my eyes drift to Yuuma, who seemed interested in the lantern over our heads.

"I am confident that we will pass without any problems. Agreeable?" I asked. Yuuma blinked at me before giving a nod. I returned it. We never really had arguments as our opinions seemed to balance out, so I do not comprehend why Yuriye got a little tense at my side.

"Sounds good," Kakashi declared as he picked up a stick of dango, "Confidence is a great thing to have going into these exams." Of course, by now, no one was even paying attention to the conversation. Our eyes were on the stick of dango that he was slowly bringing toward his face, his finger hooking over the top of his mask.

Eyes wide, curiosity sparking, and leaning forward, we just watched and waited.

Just our luck that the front door to the shop shot open with howling wind and rain from outside, making the lights flicker off.

"Oh crap." I heard Kakashi sigh in the darkness. I whipped back around just as he stood up, lighting the lantern overhead. I frowned and my eye fell on the plate of dango. My only visible eye stared at the empty plate, my lips parting slightly, but no words would come out.

Even I, a true genius of probably every subject you can come up with, did not know what lay beneath Hatake Kakashi's mask.

And this aggravated me beyond belief. I relaxed back in the seat, frowning with my arms folded tightly. I sat there, practically sulking as Kakashi-sensei assisted with cleaning the shop. Yuriye pouted a little, clasping her hands tightly between her knees.

"I could of sworn we were gonna get the chance to see his face." She huffed. Yuuma sighed, tilting his head before shaking it as if to shake the idea away as he looked at the empty plate with a thoughtful frown.

"I hate him." I muttered stubbornly. I had to admit. The more the thought came into my mind, the more questions that flowed about Kakashi-sensei, the more I wanted to fling the plate across the shop, but I withheld the anger and took a deep breath, my eyes drifting out the window.

Just another day. How troublesome…

**(Third POV)**

_SHING_! A kunai bounced off a silver blade, slamming into the wet grass. Lightening shot across the sky, lighting it up like a camera flash in the dark before a laugh was managed to be heard.

"Almost got me that time, Yuko!" A young, raven-haired boy with closed eyes landed on the wet grass, his black slippers with an emerald embedded into the tip of each one. A girl with midnight hair braided into pigtails landed across from him, her red pants billowing with grass stains that matched the ones on her Chinese-style black shirt, a phoenix symbol adorning the back of it.

"You jump around too much." Yuko huffed quietly, folding her arms over her chest, but she was still smiling through the lashing rain at her older teammate. Lei, an orphaned boy who was mistaken to be blind as his eyes were always closed, wore a basic leaf green Chinese-style jacket, the trims on the long billowy sleeves black, which hung open to reveal a simple navy t-shirt with a low cut collar and pine green pants that billowed around his ankles. He was holding a silver katana in his hand, but he easily flung it up on the tip of his finger, letting it slide into the black holster on his back.

"I like watching you move. You're such a pretty little girl." Lei replied with a grin, cocking his head to the side. Yuko twitched, blushing lightly and scowling before her eyes flickered over the stormy mass around them.

"Whoa! When did this happen?"

"Not too long ago… Looks like Zakuro vanished! Hm, so much for being a tough member of the Aburame Clan. Can't even handle a little rain." Lei sighed, waving his hand in his face idly with a smirk. Yuko rolled her eyes, then laughed a little, pointing a finger.

"I think he's handling it pretty good right now." She stated. Lei twitched and laughed as Zakuro stepped from the shadows of the shadows behind his teammate.

Zakuro, a tall boy with deep dark brown hair that hung to his shoulder blades the choppy fringe hanging over his forehead and his eye sockets hidden behind a pair of fashionable square sunglasses. He dressed in a simple black zip-up jacket with a collar around his neck and short sleeves, a mask hiding the lower part of his face that matched his loose, dark gray shorts with ninja boots to go with.

"You better watch your mouth," Zakuro scolded, grabbing the front of Lei's shirt with a fist, making Lei yelp, but laugh a bit nervously, "As I would hold no qualms about strangling you."

"Oh, come now, Zakuro! Don't be such a meanie. Are you really going to leave poor Yuko standing in the rain like this?" Lei asked, gesturing to Yuko, who twitched and glared at Lei in embarrassment.

"Shut up! I'm not scared of a little rain." Yuko retorted, folding her arms over her chest confidently, taking a peek at the sky that lit up with blue lightening. Zakuro immediately let go of Lei, however, to tilt his head toward Yuko.

"I can give you my jacket if you want." He offered, pausing to let his eyes drift. Yuko stared at him, then kept her arms crossed over her chest, twitching.

"I'll tell sensei if you don't leave me alone!" She protested, a blush visible on her face.

"Would you really tell on me and get me in trouble?" Zakuro asked, faking a pout. Lei puckered his lips, blowing past them to make a 'thhth' sound.

"Booo! Don't be so yucky, Zakuro! No wonder your family's disowning you." He stated, making Yuko flinch and Zakuro twitch.

"Lei, that wasn't very nice to point out!" Yuko protested, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm giving you a three second head start." Zakuro began calmly, holding up a finger in Lei's face. Lei laughed again, waving his sleeve-hidden hand toward his teammates.

"We're all friends! Let's not bicker, ne? What would sensei say if she saw you two ganging up on me? Are you two just trying to get rid of me so you can get all kissy kissy?" He asked.

"Three." Zakuro deadpanned and smacked Lei hard upside the head, making him yelp and flail, smacking into the wet grass where Zakuro stoically stomped on his rear. Yuko sweat dropped, coming up beside him to peek down at Lei's flailing and whining form.

"He warned you, Lei." She sighed, folding her arms over her chest. After a couple minutes, Zakuro stopped to shake the dirt off his shoe before shoving his hands in his pockets, looking at Yuko, who was tilting her head to watch Lei scramble to his feet.

"Yuko, are you busy?" Zakuro asked. Yuko blinked and looked up with curious red eyes.

"Well, I was going to take a nap before getting back to training since the exams were coming up."

"Mind if I come with?"

"So you can sleep with her?" Lei exclaimed, clasping a hand over his mouth dramatically and thrusting the other out. Zakuro's hand shot out and smacked him in the face. Lei gasped and stumbled back, but still kept a goofy grin on his face. Yuko twitched, then laughed a little, waving a hand at them.

"I think you two need to work out your socializing issues first." She smirked and winked before doing a quick hop to turn, shooting off through the rain and wet tree leaves. Lei beamed.

"She's so cute! That makes two cute teammates, of course, the second meaning myself-"

"You? What makes you think you're good looking?" Zakuro demanded, turning his face to Lei's, which lit up brightly at the topic.

"Because you took the time to look at me."

"… I'm going to hurt you. I'm still beyond aggravated and demand to know why I was placed on a team with you. Yuko I can deal with-"

"Cuz she's a girl."

"-Sensei I can deal with-"

"Because she's a woman."

"-But you're the biggest pain in the ass I've ever met. No wonder you were abandoned." Zakuro decided to throw in a cruel insult, but he only got a wide smile from Lei, who cocked his head, waving his hand at him again. An odd habit the boy commonly did.

"You can do better than that. I couldn't possibly care less about dead people."

"What about the old man?" Zakuro challenged. Lei paused, pouting thoughtfully as he poked his lower lip, then beamed again.

"Seimei is just my guardian. Like a landlord, but he won't let me pay him to stay in the house, so nope. Keep trying! While you're at it, let's go get some hot soup and dry clothes!"

"Whatever."

**(Third POV, Asuma's Squad)**

"CHEESE STICKS! CHEESE STICKS!" Tsukuyomi Ketsuraku chanted, plopping into a booth happily next to his sister. Ketsuraku, the oldest Genin on his team with deep purple hair pretty much styled as if he rushed out of the house in the morning, his eyes a pale yellow.

He wore a navy blue cloak to his ankles that was tied at the neck with his headband, a basic long-sleeved red shirt and navy pants underneath, bandaged from the knees to his ninja shoes.

His sister, Tsukuyomi Setsuna, had dark blue hair in a side ponytail, her bangs framing the right side of her face while the rest covered the right side, her eyes dark brown. She wore a black shinsengumi outfit with a katana on her left side with her headband on her forehead.

The third member of the team was Haruno Mitasu, a young boy with bleach blonde hair and mint green eyes. His bangs framed his face, the rest short and spiky. He wore a black shirt with a stand up collar that hung to his waist with no sleeves, a skin-tight white long-sleeved shirt underneath with black swirled designs and dots that matched his knee-length shorts and knee high white ninja boots, his headband placed crookedly to the left.

"First it was pork," Asuma sighed as he sat beside Mitasu, "And now it's cheese. What about you two? Any queer obsessions?" Mitasu and Setsuna both blushed lightly, sharing looks before shaking their heads. Asuma nodded, then glanced at Ketsuraku, who was munching on the little yellow sticks before glancing up a little sleepily.

"Why do we have to leave so early? Everyone else is leaving the day after tomorrow." He complained with a pout. Setsuna sighed, shaking her head.

"Because it's crowded on the last two days. If we go tonight, we'll get a hotel without qualms." She explained simply with a smile when Asuma clapped a bit too dramatically. Mitasu shifted a bit uncomfortably, averting his eyes.

"Not to be rude or anything, but don't do anything stupid, Ketsuraku." He pointed out. Ketsuraku snorted and ripped open another cheese stick, popping it into his mouth and mashing it with his molars.

"Hmph! You're still blaming me for the last mission? All I did was catch a house on fire." He mumbled, studying the disbelief on his teammates' faces as well as their sensei.

"And a wagon." Setsuna added with a raised eyebrow.

"And you broke an old woman's foot." Mitasu added with a little smile that earned a glare from Ketsuraku.

"I tried to move her, but she kept yelling about her ugly cat. That thing looked like a PIG, not a cat! She could tell she was a blind old hag." Ketsuraku declared with a huff. Asuma smacked his forehead and Setsuna let her head hit the table in exasperation. Sometimes she wondered how the guy could even be her brother.

"Just behave for the exams, all right?" Asuma asked, cocking a strict brow at Ketsuraku, who grinned widely to show off some sharpened teeth.

"You can count on me, SENSEI!"

**(Shikamaru's Team)**

"All ready to go?" Shikamaru asked with a yawn, stretching as he glanced over his shoulder at his son, Hitsugi, who glanced at back him with light brown eyes that matched his dark brown, loose ponytail that hung over his shoulder. He wore a pine green vest with a black t-shirt underneath, the Naara Clan symbol on the front in beige that went along with the long shorts and headband on his forehead.

"It's a four day trip. No." Hitsugi deadpanned. Shikamaru sighed, folding his hands behind his head.

"I tried. What about Kigeki and Tsume?" He asked and looked up as the two other members of his team made their appearance. Kigeki, a chunky kunoichi with light brown hair in a little ponytail atop her head while the rest was loose. Her eyes were brilliant blue and always wide with curiosity. She wore a hot pink sweatshirt with short sleeves, a pale rose shirt underneath that matched her billowy pants, her high heels hot pink. She wore fingerless black gloves, the Konoha symbol on the back metal plates.

Tsume followed after her, his white blonde hair just about to his the base of his neck with a thick lock hanging over his right eye and curved inwards in the same manner as the left, but the left side was shorter. He wore a simple navy blue vest and a black shawl thing that barely covered his shoulders, matching his pants with fishnet trims.

"I'm ready! Let's do this!" Kigeki announced, pounding the air with her fist joyously. Tsume sighed quietly, averting his eyes.

"I still think this is a bad idea. I have a bad feeling."

"Don't be so negative," Hitsugi snorted, getting to his feet and punching Tsume in the shoulder, "We're going to pass no problem. Just don't do anything stupid and get yourself killed."

"Same to you." Tsume muttered, shrugging Hitsugi's hand off him and watching silently as his friend walked toward Kigeki, laughing now. He seemed to grow more in focus the further he moved away and Tsume smacked a hand over his eyes frustrated, shaking his head and jumping when Shikamaru put a hand on his shoulder.

"Take these with you." Shikamaru advised, handing him a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. Tsume glared at them and looked up at his sensei with a puppy dog face that pleaded for him to smash the things, but Shikamaru just shoved them into Tsume's weapons pouch.

"Make me proud."

**(Guy's and Lee's)**

"YES! We will go to Getsugakure together!" Lee announced, thrusting his fists through the air as he looked at his Genin team, also made up of two of his children.

Harumi, a young female, with long black hair tied into a braid, matching her traditional Chinese style clothing. She smiled eagerly, clasping her hands together and glancing at her teammates to see their reactions.

Yagani Toshiyuki, the male of the group, smirked as he ran a hand through his red hair, his black eyes glowing in the lighting of the Hokage's lobby. He wore a black jumpsuit with red stripes on either side, showing them off as he put his hands on his hips.

Next came Rin, a young girl with icy blue eyes and white hair fashioned in a ponytail that matched her form fitting black suit. She simply sighed, averting her eyes casually.

"ALL RIGHTYYYYY THEN! LET'S DO THIS!" Guy yelled, making Rin stiffen and almost yelp in shock when the man popped up behind her out of nowhere, making her whip around. Toshiyuki snickered, getting elbowed by Harumi, who tried not to laugh out loud herself.

"GUY-SENSEI!" Lee yelled, thrusting his arms out.

"LEE!"

"GUY-SENSEI!" As the chanting went on, Guy's team made their appearance in the hallway opening behind their sensei. Two boys and a girl, all staring at the sensei/student relationship thing that was occurring at the center of the large lobby.

Kuromura Nomi, a purple-eyed female with salmon-orange hair that was short and spiky all over the place. She wore tight black shorts with a loose strapless and red top that came to her knees, the trims pale yellow with slits to her hips. A pale yellow halter top showed underneath the top, her sandals black. She smirked at the two sensei, her arms folded.

Beside her stood Warayati Tsutomu, a male Genin with black eyes and a bit of a feminine appearance to him. His light brown hair touched his tailbone in a bobble, his bangs touching from the right corner of his eye, going up, then falling back down to his left jaw. He wore a gray zipper with quarter-length sleeves and a small neck guard. Underneath a yellow t-shirt with a fishnet vest was revealed as well as gray shorts to his knees and bandages around his legs to his blue sandals. His headband hung around his right arm. He merely watched with a flat expression, giving his head a little tilt as if curious.

Last, but certainly not least, came Tanaka Subaru. A male with misty blue eyes and a shaved head, noticeable bags under his eyes. He wore a dark gray tank top with a fishnet vest underneath, dark orange gloves touching his elbows where bandages picked up into his shirt. He also wore a pair of long dark gray shorts, dark orange stripes on the sides and black sandals adorning his feet, his headband worn as a bandana over his head. He just smiled at the scene.

"You all ready to go?" Guy demanded, thrusting his hips out and flinging a hand in the air as if to show off a stylish ring. Tsutomu responded by covering his face with his hand, giving a sigh at the roar of excitement so late in the evening. Subaru beamed.

"Whenever you're ready, sensei!" He announced.

"Yea! Let's do this! Bet ya we can get to Getsugakure in less than four days!" Nomi agreed eagerly, grinning almost competitively.

"That's what I like to hear! GO TEAM!"

"Could you guys be any louder?" Tsunade barked, then put a hand on her hip as she walked by, waving a file and muttering about donuts. Guy blinked, then grinned back at his team, giving them a big thumbs up while Lee did the same to his team.

"TO THE CHUUNIN EXAMS!"

**(Honoka's Team)**

"Ayaka," Honoka scolded her twin with a light smile, "Don't mess around. This is serious. I need to make sure they're readily prepared. The exams can be brutal-"

"And exciting and adventurous and make sure you guys kick a lot of ass while you're out there!" Ayaka boosted, pumping her fist in the air. Honoka sighed, shaking her head.

"You're more excited for the exams than they are." She pointed out before gesturing to her team.

First stood Hikari, a young female dressed in a deep plum shirt with mesh armor underneath and a pair of black shorts, matching her sandals. The left sleeve of her shirt bared the Hyuuga symbol. A playful grin crossed her face as she teetered back and forth on the heels of her shoes, cocking her head.

Beside her, Emiko sighed softly, brushing a hand over her hair as she shook her head at her sister's eagerness. At her side, Kiku stood, dressed in a long dark blue top with dark gray leggings and black sandals. She just smiled faintly, giving a light nod, before blinking and looking at Ayaka, who was still fused to Honoka's hip and going on and on about the exams.

"Wait, what?" She asked as if she had completely missed the 'brutal part' until now. Honoka sweat dropped and elbowed Ayaka, who snickered.

"Let me try this again, but simpler since Ayaka keeps interrupting."

"Do not."

"The exams are going to be hard this year as many shinobi have improved their talents over the years. Just keep your guard up around everyone you meet and-"

"Don't die." Ayaka added cheerfully, ignoring the wide-eyed stare from Honoka.

"Sounds good!" Hikari decided with a sweet smile.

"What Honoka-sensei said or…?" Kiku's voice drifted as she heard Ayaka's voice in the back of her mind, going _don't die_ over and over again. Emiko sighed, folding her arms over her chest and nodding.

"We can handle it." She stated, agreeing with Hikari, who beamed almost proudly.

"I hope so." Honoka sighed, glancing toward the Hokage's residence as they stood in one of the halls of the Academy.

**Hokage's Residence**

"They're gonna do great! I have the utmost confidence in them!" Naruto declared, whipping around to face Tsunade, who was leaning on his desk with a cup of tea in her hand.

"Let's hope so. We've been at peace for a while and it should stay like that." Tsunade murmured, studying the dark liquid in her cup before she took a sip. Naruto snorted, cocking his head to look out the window of his office.

"I bet you 1,000 ryo they'll come back Chuunin. Besides, I also get to throw in my vote." He added with a huff, picking up his tea cup. Tsunade smirked.

"It's a bet." She stated, holding her tea cup up in a cheer. Naruto grinned and held up his tea cup, but stopped when a crack shot down the side of the cup as lightening flashed through the sky outside. Naruto frowned immediately, studying the crack in the cup while Tsunade flinched a little, glancing out the window with a serious frown.

"Naruto."

"I'm not taking back the bet," Naruto declared, setting the cup down on his desk, his blue eyes flashing up to lock with Tsunade past his loose blonde hair, "I have confidence in all Konohagakure's shinobi. It's called the Will of Fire, grandma." Tsunade smiled lightly, then glared at him.

"Who're you callin' grandma?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: 16 pages? XD Oh well. Gonna be longer in the next chapter. O: I was mostly introducing all the characters in this chapter. There are still more in the next chapter too, but they're from other villages. I think that's all for now. Sorry if I got some characters a little out of character or something. xD; I was too excited to write it! Well, thanks so much for reading and your reviews are loved with a passion!EDIT: … I so messed up on the last bit and had to change it. :'D**


	5. Chapter 5

**UPDATE! YAY!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, except for the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan (This includes Kazuhiko, Arisu, Kimiko, etc…)**

**Mitsuru, Haruke, Miwa and Manabu**

**Shisui and Nakusu**

**Shikamaru's Genin Team**

**The Mist Village Team**

**Sunagakure Team 4**

**Nero and his Genin Team**

**Hyuuga Uwasa**

**Lei**

**Aburame Zakuro**

**(The other ones from the last disclaimer O:!)**

**A/N: Begins in Third POV!**

****

Chapter Five: **Moving Toward the Exams! So We Meet!**

A crystal blue stream slithered a path through some wet, grassy hills, trailing downwards into a large pond that was settled comfortably at the base of a large cavern with a small pair of doors seen just outside the cavern entrance, where rocks seemed to be piled eternally. A pair of shabby torn boots with a smack of duct tape hit the small stream, smashing up the cool water. Moving up to a pair of black shorts, duct tape running up and down the sides followed by black fingerless gloves matching a light gray vest over a silvery t-shirt with the biohazard symbol sewed on.

A pair of lilac eyes shifted behind loose and wispy, choppy raven hair with a pencil gray beanie cap atop a teenager's head. He frowned tiredly before continuing his boring trek to the cavern. The warm summer breeze made the wisps of black hair sticking out from under his cap flutter and tickle his ear. He reached up and thoughtlessly tugged on his earlobe as he reached out with his other hand, opening the door and stepping inside.

He shut the door quietly and turned to face a stone hallway. The sudden feeling of uneasiness hovered through the air as a thin, white mist. The teenager waved the mist from his face, shoving a hand in his pocket as he walked down the hall, his boots scuffing before he came to a nice made wall. He reached out, his hand smacking into a rock before he traced his finger upwards into a crack between the rocks and dragged his finger, releasing a thin stream of chakra before there was a crackling sound.

Stepping back, the teenager watched flatly as the rocks seemed to suck themselves away into a temporarily hidden state before the teenager walked in with a little yawn, pausing as the rocks behind him molded back together. He stood in a large room with a small hot spring bubbling in one corner, a disorganized office in another accompanied by a comfortable, yet made up bed.

"It took you long enough, Kazuhiko." A voice muttered, impatiently. The teenager with the cap looked up through the dimly lit room as the owner of the room made his appearance from a hidden door across the room. The opposite teenager, around seventeen, made his appearance well known. His black eyes were narrowed slightly, very untrusting, matching his dark brown hair that rested at the nape of his neck, his fringe reaching his chin with many strands hanging over his face, particularly his right eye.

He dressed in a black jacket, sleeves to his elbows and the shoulder padded with a large rhino curving inwards on the outside of each shoulder, a smaller one going the same way on the inside of each dark green piece. His pants were black, near his knee, and bandages ran from knee to ankles, his sandals black. A red dot marked each arm of his jacket, his hands covered with fingerless gloves, padded with rhino skin.

"You mentioned not to let anyone follow me, Nozomu. I figured that included sisters." Kazuhiko answered coolly, glancing around the room and walking near the desk. Nozomu easily thrust his arm out to stop him, frowning.

"Don't get nosy. I invited you here to inform you of your next mission." He commanded. Kazuhiko blinked and looked at him, leaning back.

"Another mission? Is that really such a great idea? I mean, come on. I'm sure your sister must have mentioned our failure to capture the whatever tailed beast that Akatsuki got before us…" He mused, but his voice drifted off at Nozomu's glare. The guy sure knew how to keep up a harsh display. Kazuhiko stood up straight, looking down at the desk.

"Or maybe we can try it. What did you have in mind?" He asked, glancing up. Nozomu paused, frowning at him before looking away, his arms folded.

"Technically, you're still a Genin as well as your sisters. You should have no problems faking your rank and entering the Chuunin Exams in Getsugakure. Or any problems taking control of the village itself." He explained, turning to face his subordinate. Kazuhiko let his eyes drift up to the ceiling lazily past his always half-hanging lids before he shrugged.

"Sounds like a lot of work… What do you know about the exams? All I know is there's a written portion, some exercise portion, and a battle to the death…" He mused.

"Yes," Nozomu said with a nod, walking toward a bookcase near the bed, "It's a lot of work for someone as useless as you. Quite frankly, I would just go in myself and do it, but I have a couple reasons why I can't do that."

"You don't wanna put yourself at risk," Kazuhiko responded dully, leaning on the edge of the desk, "You die and you'll end up just like daddy." Nozomu's black eyes slid toward him, narrowing threateningly before Kazuhiko smiled faintly.

"Just kidding." The boy replied, pushing off the edge of the desk. Nozomu reached out to the bookcase, pushing aside a couple books and opening a small cabinet hidden in the back before taking out a glass jar.

"Since you're so worthless and are only good for getting rid of the corpses, I'm giving you a little gift… Hopefully bribe you into doing this mission." He stated, tossing the jar toward Kazuhiko, who easily caught it by the neck looking inside. A thick black mass swirled around inside eerily without a sound. Kazuhiko squinted for a second and lowered the jar.

"Bribing me with a person?" He asked, cocking a brow as if to scold the older teenager, who glared at him in return.

"He's not a person, but a creature. He's been sitting inside that bottle for twelve-years, gathering up all his power. Releasing him from the jar is like setting off a huge bomb." Nozomu explained, mostly trying to revert back to what Tomoko and a subordinate by the name of Inuke had told him… As well as his father.

"Bombs sound cool." Kazuhiko mused, tightening his grip on the bottle's neck. Nozomu nodded, leaning on the edge of the bookcase with his arms folded.

"Sure, but they're not toys. You've got a big mouth and you're pretty much useless most of the time, but I know you're not immature, so don't open that jar. I'm not joking when I say that releasing it will probably destroy the entire village of Getsugakure."

"All right. I'm all ears."

"Around the third part of the exam, you're to drop out of your battle and take off to the highest part of the arena it's being held in. Open the jar and be sure to keep it pointed down at the arena. It's harder than it sounds, but get it done anyway… I'm sure you wouldn't care if it killed you either." Nozomu added, turning his head in the opposite direction. Kazuhiko looked up, raising an eyebrow.

"How do you know about that?" He asked. He could have sworn no one had even suspected his suicide attempt. Kazuhiko let his eyes drift upwards tiredly at the aggravating memory. He'd climbed up on the chair back at the home he shared with his family in the kitchen. He got the noose around his neck, tightly so that he felt his lungs squeeze in his chest, but as soon as he stepped off…

"I'm the boss around here and I know everything that goes on," Nozomu responded calmly, pushing off the bookcase and gesturing to the jar, "I won't tell your father, if you do this mission without resisting."

"I'm not a kid," Kazuhiko drawled, but even he knew the kind of trouble he'd encounter if his father discovered his attempted suicide, "But I'm only doing this because I like you." Nozomu frowned and Kazuhiko smiled faintly in return.

"My sister likes you too, but I don't really care what she thinks and you don't either. Thanks for the interesting mission. I'm sure the girls are gonna be excited about it," He explained, heading to the exit and letting the rocks pile away, "Oh, and tell your sister I said hi." Not a second later, Kazuhiko had completely vanished in a puff of smoke as a kunai shot through him, sticking out of the wall.

Nozomu frowned, glaring at the place where Kazuhiko had vanished, a fist clenched tightly. _Stupid brat. He's got a lot of nerve._ He thought and whipped around to return to his work just as the entrance to his room opened again. This time, a girl came in with very light brown hair, almost salmon like, and extremely long to her knees in two pigtails, decorated ribbons holding them back. Her eyes were a very pale blue, nearly white.

She dressed in a modified pink kimono that touched her thighs with slits in the sides, a black belt around her waist. The sleeves touched her elbows and the chest and stomach over her black under shirt that was also covered by fish netting. A red dot appeared on either side of her kimono, which was trimmed white and was adorned with bamboo and butterfly patterns. Her thighs were completely bandaged and she wore a pair of wooden sandals.

"Tomoko, you didn't mention you were coming." Nozomu muttered, not turning to face her as he stuffed some loose papers into a drawer at his desk. Tomoko gave a light shrug, her eyes drifting over the room and back to her brother.

"I finished my training earlier than I expected… I saw Kazuhiko. I thought he had died."

"Not yet." Nozomu replied simply, as if the thought didn't bother him at all. Tomoko frowned lightly, but said nothing in return. Nozomu was surely a cold person, but she knew that Nozomu had some heart in him. She sighed quietly and her eyes drifted to the desk before her eyelids grew a bit heavy with nostalgia.

"Letters?" She asked. Nozomu looked up, then back at the desk and snatched them up, shoving them in a cupboard in the writing desk.

"Old ones. Ancient." He answered calmly. Tomoko nodded, walking up beside him to look at the desk. Her eyes flew over the desk, drifting and stopping on a familiar sketch and biography. She reached out and picked it up, frowning.

"Nozomu…"

"As worthless as he is, I'm sure he knows not to disobey my orders."

"That's not the peak of my worries."

"Then what else is bothering you?"

"The risk of taking over a village that's larger than the ones we already own… Don't make the same mistake of attacking a large village."

"Large," Nozomu scuffed and held out his hand over the desk, "They're not even the size of the ink splotch on this desk." A spark of electricity shot down on the desk, scorching it black before Nozomu pulled his hand away calmly. Tomoko sighed quietly, but gave a nod, setting the paper back down after brushing the scorch mark off the desk.

"I pray that nothing goes wrong."

**(Kazuhiko)**

I had no right to call Nozomu a brat since he was at least two years my senior, but there were times when he really just ticked me off. He was a show off and spoiled way too much. Ever since his father had died, he was placed in charge and he was doing a pretty good job for his age. He still owned all the territory that his father owned, raised up a lot of cash to keep his own economy going. It was why I would have listened to him in the first place. I wouldn't care if Nozomu ordered that I hop on one foot. He did things that I couldn't even begin to imagine. Of course, if I had the choice to die for him or live for myself, I'd chose the latter. I was just that kind of guy. Hell, I'd do the same if it came to my obnoxious sisters too.

I looked up as I approached the small round, dome like house that my cheap ass father bought. He only bought it because he thought I was going to be the only child with my mother, but he was so wrong.

I walked through the wooden front door, glancing down the grassy path to see a lizard swirling around a tree, wrapping itself around the trunk and peering down at me with beady blue eyes. I frowned.

"If you're here, that means he's gone." I muttered. The lizard's tongue flicked out before swirling back in as it cackled.

"Oi, indeed, little boy. Daddy's gone out to play, mother's just at bay!" He cooed in that annoying rhyming talk that he somehow picked up on. I rolled my eyes and opened the door, walking in. As soon as I closed the door and turned to face the main room that led to the stairs to the basement, the doorway to the kitchen and the other to the living room, a flash of silver hair styled in a curly, Lolita style ponytail with curls near the temples.

I sighed and glanced up as my youngest sister, Kimiko, bolted past me, laughing at the top of her lungs maniacally, which could only mean Arisu wasn't far behind. Kimiko stupidly spun around on her pink boots, revealing a single visible pale pink eye as her other eye was hidden behind a dark pink, heart-shaped eye patch. She also wore a fishnet over the torso of her light pink elbow shirt, fishnet gloves on her hands and a silver skirt over black tight pants. She also had a weird fox plushie tied to her waist… She thrust a finger through the doorway to the kitchen.

"Hahaha! Kazuhiko! Just wait for this! Watch, watch!" She urged me, grinning wildly as she kept her finger pointed. I sighed and glanced up for a split second as Arisu stepped into view. She was the middle child, tall with orchid purple hair in a loose wrapped ponytail, her bangs silver and framing her face. Her right eye was gold, left pale pink like Kimiko's, and she wore a pair of dark purple square glasses.

Arisu was a ninja, like Kimiko and I, but she dressed more like a freaking prostitute than anything. A light blue top with long, finger-length sleeves and a torso part that hardly covered her breasts as it was simply two strips just coming up to cover them, which didn't help since they made up the slanted collar. She also wore a dark purple skirt that covered her left leg more than her right, which was just a giant slit practically. Her little outfit was topped off with black, very high heels that she almost teetered in.

Most older brothers would be worried.

… I just hoped somebody would kidnap her and take her away already.

"Kimiko," Arisu began in a voice that was so calm, it was like a frozen over river, "I'm giving you to the count of three to get halfway across the country."

"Bite me!" Kimiko taunted, sticking out her tongue. Arisu's teeth visibly gritted in rage, her fists clenching. I averted my eyes, reaching up to scratch my head past my beanie. I had some stupid sisters. I sighed and felt Kimiko staring at me, so I glanced at her and saw her hand reaching for the jar that I had hooked to my waist. I slapped her hand, hard enough to leave a red mark and making her glare daggers at me.

"Jerk!" She spat. Arisu folded her arms over her chest, shifting to the right.

"What the hell is that thing?" She demanded, pointing a finger over her arm at it. I frowned.

"None of your business…"

"Oooh! There's something swirling inside! I wanna see!" Kimiko squealed and went to grab it again, but I side stepped her, letting her tumble headfirst to the ground with a sharp yelp before I looked at Arisu.

"Get ready for a mission. Nozomu mentioned a big mission." I stated. Arisu frowned.

"Such as…?"

"Chuunin Exams."

**(Kirigakure)**

A nice cool breeze rustled the trees, rain sprinkling across the village as gray clouds blanketed the sky. The day was average, nice and cool for summer. Near the gates of the village, a Genin with navy hair tied into a ponytail with icy blue eyes stood, waiting for her teammates.

A deep scar ran from her cheek through her mouth and to her chin, a peppermint stick hanging past her lips. She wore a deep gray vest with a thick padded neck guard, a dark purple shirt with sleeves to her fingertips underneath and black pants that disappeared into a pair of gray bulky rain boots.

"Asobu! COUSIN!" A voice yelled. Asobu flinched, but took a deep breath and glanced over her shoulder, tipping her lip into a frown as her cousin ran toward her. A tall, older boy with a snow white Mohawk that drooped to the right, the left side of his head shaven and printed with a coiled snake tattoo. His eyes were brilliant violet like his mother's.

His outfit was a bit more elaborate; a fishnet shirt under a beige vest that hung to his knees with dark brown trims, a matching scarf going through loops on the vest, hanging down. A pair of black pants with slits in the knees matched his ninja shoes; a gold hoop in his left nostril, a ruby stud on his tongue, and gold bangles jingling around his wrists and matching the ruby and diamond rings on his fingers.

The most noticeable accessory was a six-foot deep green, blue swirled python that was hanging around his neck with its head resting on top of his master's.

"Kangoku, don't shout like that," Asobu advised stiffly, shifting the peppermint stick in her mouth, muffling her rather masculine tone, "You're going to embarrass us before we even go." Kangoku smirked, stopping and folding his arms over his chest.

"I beg to differ, little cousin. As soon as sensei and Noroi get here, we'll be off and the village will remember our, meaning my, confidence!" He announced confidently with a nod, smirking as his python, Hachi, hissed softly in agreement, cuddling against Kangoku's cheek. Asobu frowned, averted her eyes and sighed, glancing up as she felt the familiar presence of their other teammate, Noroi.

It wasn't so much the sense of chakra, but the heavy feeling that their third teammate seemed to carry everywhere he went. Asobu and Kangoku looked up as Noroi stepped down off a nearby rooftop, obviously mumbling to himself.

Noroi was an averaged size boy with short choppy hair, black on the left side and silver on the other, his eyes a pale light blue behind thick black glasses. He wore a pale green shirt with a stand up collar, the left sleeve touching his fingertips while the right was non-existent. Navy blue shorts with fishnets covering his legs to his bandaged feet finished off his attire, save for a pair of dangling senbon pierced into his ears.

"About time! Where's sensei?" Kangoku asked eagerly, grinning as Hachi opened his jaws wide, revealing thin sharp fangs, that made Noroi jump a little before pouting slightly.

"I didn't s-see him at all, not since t-training. Will you make that thing s-shut up?" Noroi demanded, wincing a little as he shoved his glasses up on his nose. Kangoku rolled his eyes with a smirk and snapped his fingers, making Hachi whisper quietly as he coiled back.

"Just keep your bad luck at bay," He stated, glancing at Noroi, who twitched, "We're gonna win this time and you two better be ready for any challenges!"

"Kangoku's right, for once… And you're not bad luck." Asobu added, glaring at Kangoku, who puffed out his cheeks comically. Noroi waved a hand, one of his fingers twitching slightly.

"It's ff-fine. I'm just kl-klutzy… At least I-I'm not ob-obnox-"

"At least I can talk right." Kangoku grinned, but earned a smack in the jaw from Asobu, who glared at him and looked at Noroi, who twitched and muttered something under his breath.

"Concentrate on the goal, forget anything Kangoku says. We're going to the Chuunin Exams and we're going to pass, understood? Say it with me." Asobu commanded, thrusting her fist out. Noroi jumped a little and hesitantly touched his knuckles to Asobu's, yelping a little when Kangoku thrust an arm around his shoulders.

"We're gonna pass the exams!" Kangoku hooted. Asobu rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway, tilting her head at Noroi, who blushed deeply and nodded.

"W-We're going to pass the exams."

"Damn straight." Asobu stated with a nod.

**(Kumogakure)**

_It's almost exam time…_ Kirumaru thought, nibbling on his lip as he stared up at the clouded over sky. He knew it was time for one of the biggest moments in a Genin's life, his Genin's lives. He took a deep breath and headed to the meeting place with his students, his black padded ninja boots scuffing the path up as he walked.

Kirumaru was an average Jounin sensei with dark skin, smoothed back black hair that touched his waist while his eyes were blue. He dressed in a loose black jumper that ended at his wrists where black fingerless gloves took up the rest of the space, a white flak jacket with straight line designs printed on the front and back overtop. His pants were black to his ankles, a sword on his back and his headband on his head.

He rounded a corner just in time to see a rock go flying by his face, making him yelp a little and flail before he whipped to see his Genin team already waiting for him, packed for the trip.

First was Nijishima Huyu, a boy with vibrant yellow eyes and bleach blonde hair that touched his shoulders, pushed back by his headband, his skin tanned. He wore sleeveless gloves that came up to his lower right arm, the other to his left wrist, metal plates on the backs with the Kumo symbol embedded on. A sleeveless black zipper with a thick collar matched his gloves, adding on gold trims. He wore black shorts near his ankles and black sandals, a katana strapped onto his back with bandages around his neck.

Second was Nakuza Isaye, the female of the Genin team. Her skin was lightly tanned, her eyes dark. Her bright blonde hair was styled into two spikes facing inwards on either side of her face, the rest held back in a low ponytail. She wore a maroon off-the shoulder dress that touched her knees with sleeves to her wrists, a slit in the left side to reveal black shorts, a fishnet vest underneath this and her headband around her waist, matching black sandals.

Lastly was the rock-throwing Genin, Harsuzoi Aoi. He had pale skin, dark shaggy brown hair that fell over his amber eyes. He had his abnormally long tongue hanging out too, a cocky smirk on his face. He wore a dark gray sleeved zipper that touched his wrists with rips in the sleeves, almost like tiger stripes and three larger rips in the back. A fishnet shirt was hidden beneath it, his pants pretty much the same, touching his ankles and dark gray with rips in each leg. His blacks sandals matched the headband around his waist, a katana on his back and a large weapons holster hanging off his headband.

"Careful! Do I look like an enemy?" Kirumaru sighed, earning a spittle curse from Aoi.

"Can we just go now? These exams are going to be a piece of cake…" Isaye stated, folding her arms over her chest and averting her eyes. Kirumaru smiled faintly.

"At least you're up for it." He pointed out.

"Why wouldn't we be?" Huyu muttered and glanced at Aoi, giving him almost a look of disgust as the boy snickered, before sighing.

"For once, I agree with dumb and dumber. Let's get outta here and smash some skulls. Bet we've got a great choice of Genin." Aoi mused aloud, kicking rocks across the path. Kirumaru sweat dropped and went to make another comment, but Aoi cut him right off.

"And we're gone! Time to kick some puppies!"

**(Sunagakure, Team 4)**

"Where the hell is sensei…?" Tsukuyomi Jiki muttered aloud, folding his arms over his chest as his teal eyes studied the sky, which was slowly clouding over. He looked back down past the black bangs that were brushed over his forehead and part of his right eye. The rest of his hair was pretty much short and choppy, save for two thick locks that hung over his shoulders loosely.

He wore a long sleeved, pale blue shirt with a slanted collar, a fishnet shirt underneath with sleeves that hooked over his thumbs, navy blue pants with bandages at the bottom and into his ninja shoes finishing up his uniform.

Beside him stood his teammate, Watanabe Miryoku, a male Genin with a pretty stuck up attitude. His scarlet hair was short and windswept, his eyes pale blue. He dressed in a deep red jacket with a folded up collar and two lines of gold buttons holding the jacket shut and a pair of black pants, matching ninja shoes with no heels. The boy merely sighed, rolling his eyes at his obnoxious teammate, flinching faintly as their other teammate, Inoue Kanwa, elbowed him.

"Don't be so stuck up." The female of their team stated with a crooked frown. Her long mahogany hair hanging in her face and down to her waist in a loose ponytail. Her eyes were a medium blue, sharp and mature. She wore a light green turtleneck with a midnight teal vest, the collar standing up and the vest hanging open before it closed up around her waist like a scarf and becoming a short skirt over a pair of pale green short shorts. Midnight leg warmers with pale green belts holding them on matched a pair of pine green ninja shoes with a pointed heel.

"You're only agreeing with Jiki because you like him." Miryoku muttered, getting elbowed again. Jiki snorted and pushed off the railing of the balcony, whipping around to face Miryoku.

"Shut up, Miryoku! Just because you only have the emo fan girls doesn't mean you have to bash mine!" He announced. Miryoku sweat dropped, cocking a brow and pursing his lips.

"_Emo_ fan girls?" He asked aloud, but Kanwa nodded as she leaned back on the balcony railing.

"You know, girls like Hisako or Nori." She responded. Jiki blinked, cocking his head.

"Hisako? Your sister's an emo fan girl?" He questioned. Kanwa gave both her teammates a deadpan stare.

"She likes Hidoi. She's in it for the suffering brat." She replied flatly. Miryoku shifted slightly, tilting his head away from Kanwa and frowning.

"It's not Hidoi's fault he's an orphan, ya know… And I'd watch what you say about him. The only reason he failed the academy twice was because he smashed some kid's head into the concrete and threw his books out the windows." He explained calmly, gesturing outwards with his hand. Kanwa scrunched up her nose at the gesture before Jiki smirked, making her glance toward him.

"True story! Hidoi was in my class! He smashed Bachi's head into the floor right in the middle of class. Freaky stuff! I feel sorry for your sister, Kanwa. And I feel sorry for Nobuo. He could easily get jumped being blind as a bat."

"Being blind doesn't make you stupid." Miryoku argued. Jiki rolled his eyes.

"Oh, as if you'd know what stupid and smart was."

"I do because I'm not desperate to keep up appearances. By the way, you have a smudge of soy sauce in the corner of your mouth." Miryoku added, giving an almost deadly, faint smile at Jiki, who stiffened. Kanwa scowled.

"Shut up, Miryoku. As if he cares. Go do your nails… Or something stupid like that." She added under her breath, her eyes drifting toward the side of the balcony. Jiki quickly reached up and wiped at his mouth, leaning toward Miryoku.

"It's gone, right?"

"Yea."

"Thank the gods."

"Sensei!" Kanwa exclaimed as a ocean blue-haired Jounin hopped onto the railing. Saito Isao, an onyx-eyed sensei, dressed in a usual Sunagakure Jounin uniform, rested easily on the railing with a smirk on his face and a two-fingered wave.

"Sup! Glad my students are looking eager. Might as well take off since it's about a day or two trip. You all ready?" He asked.

"Hell yea!" Jiki shouted confidently, punching his fist in the air. Miryoku shrugged lightly, getting another punch from Kanwa before she nodded.

"Then let's do this!"

**(Getsugakure, Sunagakure Team 6, Nero's POV)**

I swear, I was one of the most unluckiest sensei of all time. I worked my ass off for twelve-years and I was rewarded with one of the most obnoxious Genin in the whole village. Make that three of Suna's most obnoxious Genin.

First there was Nakamura Nobuo. Cute kid, smart, pretty tall for his age. His eyes were entirely cloudy blue, but only because he was completely blind. His hair was dark purple and in a short Mohawk that hung over in his face, matching his dark skin. He wore a dark green headband on his forehead and a black vest over a dark gray t-shirt with a fishnet collar around his neck. The vest touched his knees loosely, the collar stand-up-ish. His gray pants were billowy to his shins, which were padded over his thick boots.

Next was Inoue Hisako. She was cute, average height, and enthusiastic. Her long maroon hair was held back with a shuriken hairpin, which was pretty neat as it matched her mauve-colored eyes. She also wore a light blue turtleneck vest with turquoise arm warmers that had navy blue ends. She wore a long cerulean skirt that had slits up the sides, navy blue shorts underneath that matched her shoes, her headband at the front of a navy belt around her waist.

And finally, the biggest pain in the ass I had ever met, Tsuchitaki Hidoi. A tall Genin with a lot of attitude. His hair was silver, a little flippy and just above his shoulders, his headband causing some to brush over his face. His left eye was bloody red and the right was pale blue. He dressed in a long-sleeved red shirt that clipped at his throat and really had no torso at all, revealing a long scar across his chest to his navel. The back of his shirt was kind of like a cape, piling on the ground with his name in Kanji on the back. He wore black shorts that hung to his shins, which were bandaged up all the way to his wooden clogs, matching the bandages on his hands and fingers, except for his two middle fingers and thumbs. He also had this pain in the ass, tricky pet named Oni, which was just an over-sized fluffy tanuki (Raccoon dog).

This is basically how our trip went the first day:

"Shut up, shut up! I swear I'm going to rip your guts out!" Hidoi fumed, gnashing his teeth at Nobuo, who made an innocent comment on Hidoi's swearing issue.

"I'd like to see you try, Hidoi." Nobuo responded flatly, walking with his arms folded and easily knowing his way around. He was talented for having only four senses. Hidoi twitched and tensed up in rage. Oni waddled along side him, sighing heavily.

"I am beginning to wonder if taking care of you is pointless." He mumbled.

"Shut up!" Hidoi protested angrily and stomped his foot, cracking the ground in slightly and making Oni and Hisako yelp a little. I smacked my forehead before I smacked the back of Hidoi's head, making him flail.

"OW!"

"Don't do that unless you wanna fix up the path yourself."

"Sorry…" Hidoi mumbled as he huffed, holding the back of his head. I nodded and shoved a hand in my pocket, lighting up a cigarette and popping into my mouth with a sigh of content.

Day Two:

"This is so boring!" Hidoi declared, clenching his fists. Hisako sighed, blushing lightly as she looked away, twiddling her fingers.

"Hidoi's got a point. We should stop somewhere. Like, a hotel or something." She pointed out, beaming up at me and batting her lashes as if that was going to make me say yes. I glanced at her, then stared straight ahead as I flicked the ash off the end of my cigarette, taking another puff on it.

"Begging isn't going to work." I responded. Hisako pouted, folding her arms over her chest. Hidoi scowled.

"How come it works when Botan begs?" He demanded. I don't know why it happened, but it did… My face lit up and I could feel the heat practically burn my cigarette as I lowered it from my mouth.

"It doesn't work when he begs." I muttered, flicking the ash.

"Does to! Botan just has to freaking ASK for something and you're all 'of course'!" Hidoi mocked, making his voice get babyish and sweet when he said 'of course'. I glared at him.

"You're pushing my buttons on purpose because you're bored." I snapped. Hidoi grinned.

"I just want you to admit that you're gay." He replied. I twitched. Hisako gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth.

"Hidoi! That's not very nice! Sensei is perfectly straight! I saw those magazines in his room and those were most certainly not men!" She stated.

"Hisako!" I barked.

"Oops." Hisako blushed, looking away and whistling. I twitched and flicked my cigarette down to the ground, stomping on it before I grabbed the back of Hisako and Hidoi's heads, slamming them together.

"OW!" They cried in agony, clasping their hands over the lumps. I smirked, but could still feel a vein pounding with angry blood in my forehead as I lit up another cigarette.

"Way too young for this topic." I muttered, glancing at Nobuo, who nodded once in agreement, making me sigh and glance up as we approached the gates to Getsugakure…

**(Getsugakure, Day One. Third POV)**

Getsugakure was a buzz with excitement, people and shops everywhere as music flooded the streets gently. Shinobi from all different villages filled the streets and shops, swarming about with family, friends, and teammates.

"How did this work?" Arisu asked, frowning as she glanced at their 'sensei'. Kazuhiko looked up from twirling his cup on the café table top, his eyelids heavy with boredom and sleep.

"Hm? Oh… Lady Tomoko found her. Her name's Kobayashi Nori. She's from Suna." He answered, letting his eyes drift to their temporary sensei. Her lilac hair was styled so it hung over her eyes and to her shoulder with a bit of a wave to it. Her eyes were light blue, signifying her relaxed state. She wore a mask made of bandages, a random strip going across her nose and under her bangs. Her skin was lightly tanned, three black dots going under her eye. She wore a white off-shoulder top that touched her knees, bandages going around her elbows to her fingertips, the same with her knees to her toes. Dark purple shorts under her long shirt matched her ninja sandals.

"How can we trust her?" Kimiko muttered, holding her plush fox to her cheek and cuddling it. Nori averted her eyes, which slowly turned pale orange.

"I have no hatred for anyone. I have no reason to attack you." She answered calmly before her eyes turned light green now. Kazuhiko yawned.

"There ya go." He sighed and rested his head on his arms comfortably. Kimiko pouted and smacked Kazuhiko in the shoulder with her fox before huffing and muttering to it. Arisu frowned, then glanced at the jar hanging from Kazuhiko's waist.

"And that?" She asked. Kazuhiko ignored her and buried his face in his arms. Arisu just rolled her eyes, looking up and wincing slightly when someone bumped into her shoulder.

"Hey, watch it." She snapped, her mismatched eyes locking on a pair of dark ones.

"I said move it, but you obviously weren't listening." Sayuri snapped back, her eyes sharp as she tensed up. Behind her, Mitsuru pushed on her back.

"Don't start fights now! It's against the rules!" He protested angrily. Sayuri scowled at him, 'tsked' in Arisu's direction, and led the way out, Mitsuru trudging after with Uwasa at his side.

"The nerve of that girl," Sayuri muttered as she brushed off her shoulder, "All Amegakure shinobi better not be like that."

"She looked a little familiar, though…" Mitsuru murmured, looking down at his feet and rubbing the back of his neck in thought.

"Don't hurt yourself." Sayuri and Uwasa said in unison, both wincing to glare at each other, while Mitsuru sweat dropped with a crookedly annoyed smile.

"Haha, funny, guys. Real funny." Mitsuru muttered sarcastically, dropping his hand along his shoulder then to his side as his eyes drifted over the village. He didn't know whether to call it big or small, but comparing it to Konohagakure it was small. There were a lot of trees in between buildings as well. It was mostly large apartment buildings, a few actual homes squeezed in between. Dotted stores, shops, even a factory or two followed the rest of the street.

Even so, Mitsuru sighed sadly as he knew there'd be no warm, relaxing hot springs for him to lounge about in. He knew it was a stupid thing to think, but he was also beginning to miss his mother's presence. He'd never been on a mission that meant staying the night somewhere.

"What's that look for?" Sayuri asked, snapping him back. Mitsuru blinked and glared at her.

"What look?"

"You looked homesick! Oh, you big baby. Scared to be away from mama for a month?" Sayuri taunted, sticking out her tongue. Mitsuru glared, blushing lightly.

"Shut up, Sayuri! I'm just not used to it, that's all!" He insisted. Uwasa sighed, waving a hand idly in his face, his baggy sleeve moving about almost comically.

"Don't start crying now or people are going to look at you funny. At least wait until Sayuri hits you or something." He muttered. Mitsuru twitched and waved a finger in Uwasa's face.

"Shut up, you jerk! She's hit you before too!"

"Once!"

"Twice!" Sayuri boosted with a grin, putting her fists on her hips confidently as she watched Uwasa blush lightly, his teeth gritted in aggravation. Mitsuru smirked, then yelped as Sayuri swung her arm into his head.

"That's about twelve-hundred times for you." Sayuri smirked and gave a wink as Mitsuru rubbed the back of his head, glaring at her. Uwasa rolled his eyes, then seemed to notice something coming up behind Mitsuru, his eyes widening slightly.

"Mitsuru-"

"MITSURUUUU!" Shisui's voice rang out as he easily attacked Mitsuru from behind with a strangling hug. Mitsuru yelped and gasped, flailing a little and tugging uselessly at Shisui's arms that were encircled about his neck and torso.

"Shisui! Ugh, you're choking me…! Shisui!" Mitsuru wailed and choked again. Sayuri watched in pure amusement, her hands clasped together as she grinned. Beside her, Riko from Shisui's team laughed lightly.

"Found him first for you, Shisui!" She declared proudly.

"And I'm glad you did." Sayuri snickered, hiding her laugh behind her hand. Uwasa sweat dropped, covering half his face with his hand, mostly out of embarrassment as passing civilians and other shinobi stared at the scene curiously and in disgust. Haruhi, who stood between Uwasa and Riko, winced a bit, placing a hand on his hip.

"Shisui, seriously, you're already making us look bad. Do the world a favor and lay off. Not to mention, Mitsuru's turning blue." He added, pointing a finger at Mitsuru, who was gasping for air. Shisui pouted at him, blinked in realization and yelped, letting Mitsuru go… Somewhat. He still held onto Mitsuru's waist as the younger boy tried to catch his breath, almost slumping to his knees.

"Adorable." Riko proclaimed, cocking her head to the side.

"Hilarious." Sayuri announced with a grin at Mitsuru, who flashed her a glare before he sucked in a deep breath.

"Pitiful." Uwasa and Haruhi muttered together.

"Oh, please," Shisui rolled his eyes, putting a hand on his hip and completely dropping Mitsuru to the ground, "You two are just jealous that you hardly get enough attention." He flipped his hand outwards in a half shrug, his hair brushing over his fingers in a lady-like manner.

"Very jealous." Uwasa muttered sarcastically and shook his head. Haruhi just sighed in frustration before looking at Riko.

"Don't ever point out the bait again." He stated. Riko pouted a little.

"But I like watching Mitsuru get tackled into the ground." She responded with a huff. Mitsuru managed to get back to his feet, grasping the side of his head with one hand and his lungs with the other, trying to catch up with his normal breathing rate. It didn't take long for Shisui to be on him once again, but this time much more gentler.

Shisui hugged Mitsuru to his chest, grinning wickedly as he rubbed his face on his cousin's black hair. Mitsuru groaned, trying to pull away, but Shisui's strength was too monstrous.

"So, you guys ready for the exams?" Uwasa asked casually, his eyes drifting away from Mitsuru's distress.

"Uwasa, you asshole!" Mitsuru barked angrily.

"So ready," Riko beamed, throwing her arms up behind her head, kicking a foot out as if to show how relaxed she was, "We trained our butts off before we came here and this is probably one of the first nights we're going to get a full night's sleep."

"Well, Riko and Shisui are. I'll probably be up early." Haruhi sighed, scratching the side of his head with a little yawn. Uwasa's eyes seemed to glow at the opportunity.

"I am too. Want to spar?" He asked. Haruhi blinked and smiled a little, tilting his head.

"Sounds great. It's so hard to get these two to do anything, but gossip like a couple of old ladies." He added, jabbing a thumb at Riko and Shisui, who both stuck their tongues out at him, but were ultimately ignored.

"Ha," Sayuri laughed, folding her arms over her chest, shifting to the side, "I can't get Mitsuru to stop challenging me. He thinks he can beat me and ends up on his face all the time!" Riko giggled while Uwasa and Haruhi smirked. Mitsuru blushed, embarrassed.

"Shut up! You're the one who challenges me…! Half the time!" He added, yelping a little as Shisui kissed him on the head.

"Hmph." Sayuri scuffed, but her cocky smirk never failed. Mitsuru rolled his eyes and Shisui finally released him to fix the hair that had fallen free from the hairclip.

"So, anyway," Shisui drawled naturally, beaming sweetly, "They have totally awesome clothes shops here! We should so go shop for the formal wear that we'll need just before the third round of the exams!"

"Huh?" This came from everyone, but Shisui, who pouted at them in disbelief and annoyance.

"You're totally kidding me! Ugh, oh my gawd. Okay, listen up kiddies," Shisui announced, holding up a finger matter-of-factly and putting his other hand on his hip, taking on a very feminine pose, "After the second part of the exams, they have this huge festival thing to celebrate everyone who made it and for those moving onto the third portion! Everyone's going to be wearing totally cute kimonos and yukata! It's gonna be so adorable! I say we all shop together, I'll treat!"

"Do you even have the money to be doing that?" A voice asked. Shisui twitched, then sighed and dropped his hands to his sides before whipping around to face Nakusu, who was approaching with his two teammates, Yuuma and Yuriye.

"Nakusu, don't ruin my buzz! Aww, you look adorable with your headband and- Awww!" Shisui cooed, throwing his arms out and making a 'squee' face. Nakusu stared at him flatly and smacked one of his hands away, making Shisui drop his arms with a huff.

"Do not act so childish in public. It is an embarrassment." He muttered, averting his visible eye. Sayuri twitched, then rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her chest.

"You're one to talk, mocking a famous ninja like that." She stated. Nakusu looked at her before averting his eye lazily, putting a fist on his hip.

"Please… Kakashi-sensei may be famous, but he is only famous for being a copycat." He responded smartly. Sayuri twitched, clenching a fist before thrusting a finger at him.

"You have some nerve! I'm going to hunt you down during the exams and smash your face into the ground!" She threatened. Nakusu smiled faintly, giving his head a small tilt.

"I cannot wait to see how you carry that little threat out. For your information, the first portion of the exams is a written portion and judging by the way you are getting ahead of yourself, you most likely will not even pass the first part, causing you and your team to fail." He explained simply, folding his arms over his chest. Shisui groaned, smacking his forehead.

"Nakusu…" He whined. Sayuri glared and moved fast, catching the front of Nakusu's shirt. Nakusu's eye flashed and he shoved her back, hard, stepping back quickly and grabbing the front of his shirt tightly, averting his eye. Sayuri smirked.

"You can't even stand being close to me. You're all bark and no bite." She mocked, then grabbed Mitsuru by the sleeve of his shirt and Uwasa by his elbow.

"Hey, Shisui! You mentioned shopping for the formal clothes for the festival! Come on!" She called over her shoulder and started walking away. Shisui looked at Nakusu quickly, getting a nod from his little brother before he ran off after Sayuri and her team, taking Riko and Haruhi with him.

"You should watch what you say," Yuriye advised quietly with a frown, her hands folded behind her, "She's not kidding about harming you and she already knows you're afraid of close contact." Nakusu frowned, lowering his hand from his shirt, heaving a sigh.

"It seems I myself was thinking too far ahead." He murmured, brushing a hand through his hair. Yuuma glanced at him and gave a nod to agree before looking in a completely opposite direction, his dark green eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Nakusu." He stated. Nakusu frowned, but kept his eyes straight ahead.

"I have taken notice." He muttered. Yuriye blinked, but didn't look anywhere, but straight when she noticed Nakusu doing the same.

"Four of them?" She asked, earning a nod from Yuuma as confirmation. Nakusu started walking forward, Yuuma and Yuriye following.

"Three females and a male," Nakusu informed as they walked normally down the street, "They are wearing Amegakure headbands. They are probably Genin here for the exams, but something about them unnerves me."

"Proximity?" Yuriye guessed, but Nakusu shook his head. Yuuma frowned, following Nakusu's straight forward gaze, giving his throat a little clearing sound as a warning.

"Hey, you!" A girl's voice yelled. The team stopped, Nakusu turning around first, Yuuma and Yuriye glancing with frowns as well. The young girl was holding a fox plushie in one hand, her single pale pink eye glowing with excitement while the other was hidden behind an eye patch.

"What's your name?" She asked innocently, holding an arm behind her back. Nakusu frowned.

"You obviously do not have manners and I refuse to state my name if you do not say yours first." He answered stiffly. The girl blinked, pouted a little, then laughed almost high-pitched like.

"Kimiko. My name is Kimiko."

"… Uchiha Nakusu." Nakusu responded, folding his arms over his chest. Kimiko smiled lightly, pointing at him.

"That headband over your eye. Looks familiar."

"It is just my style, but yours is obviously not." Nakusu mused, nodding toward Kimiko's eye patch. Kimiko blinked, touched her eye patch, then laughed out loud.

"It's not. I have a special power under here, but I really hate it. Hey, how about this? I have my sister do surgery and we can trade, yes? I've always wanted Sharingan!" She snickered, smirking to show off a sharpened canine. Nakusu's eye flickered in slight recognize, Mitsuru's teeth coming to his mind first before he shook his head, turning it the other way.

"I do not like playing doctor, particularly with children." He answered. Kimiko blinked, then glared at him, but kept her sinister little smirk on.

"Fine! Be like that, but once I see something I want, I get it! My mommy and daddy always get me what I want and if they don't, Kyuubi does!" She stated, shaking the fox plush in her hand. Nakusu rolled his eye and turned to go.

"Spoiled brat." He muttered. Kimiko just giggled, watching the team walk away as she looked down at her toy.

"Funny, this is so funny, Kyuubi. I'm going to have that eye. Then I won't need to wear this stupid patch anymore and I can use both Sharingan AND Mama's Kekkei Genkai!"

****

**A/N: Wow, longer. YAY! :D I'm rushing this A/N because I'm not really supposed to be up at the moment. lol. I hope I did a good job on this one. O: Thanks so very much for reading, hope the characters are all in character, and your reviews are loved with a passion!**


	6. Chapter 6

**UPDATE! UPDATE! ;D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the following:**

**Tsukuyomi Clan**

**Ruriko and Itachi's children**

**Sasuke's children**

**Shikamaru's Genin team**

**Lei**

**Aburame Zakuro**

**Haruno Mitasu**

**Hyuuga Uwasa**

**Roku**

**Nero**

**Kobayashi Nori**

**(And I think that's all xD)**

**A/N: Third POV**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Six: **The Chuunin Exams Begin! Nostalgia Kicks In!**

"Not bad for a ninja academy." Mitsuru commented, his arms folded as he scanned the two story building with rustic bricks making up the outside. Sayuri ran her eyes up and down it for a split second before shrugging, putting a hand on her hip and glancing at the clock that hung off the wall near the entrance of the building.

"Where the hell is Uwasa?" She demanded in annoyance. Mitsuru rolled his eyes, reaching up to brush his hair from his eyes. He paused, blinking as his eyes followed a squad of Genin that walked into the building with their sensei. His eyes followed the only boy of the group, lowering to a black jar on the boy's hip.

_That's so creepy. It looks like there's actually something inside it…_ Mitsuru thought with a shudder and disgusted wince, then yelped as Sayuri bopped him on the head.

"Quit staring at people like that! It's just awkward." Sayuri muttered, folding her arms over her chest and letting her dark eyes shift around the street for Uwasa. Mitsuru rubbed the back of his head, glaring at his teammate before his eyes drifted back toward the boy with the jar, who was muttering something to the girls on his team before they went in.

Mitsuru sighed, dropping his arms to his sides, exasperated before a familiar voice came toward them, making both him and Sayuri look up.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Uwasa greeted, adjusting his headband crookedly over his forehead. Mitsuru rolled his eyes anyway. Sayuri put her hands on her hips before jabbing a finger in Uwasa's direction.

"The hell! You know there's a deadline for our registration cards! We only have like five minutes to find the actual room for the first part of the exam!" She stated. Uwasa flicked his eyes in the opposite direction with a flat expression.

"Please. Don't start nagging at me now."

"I'm not nagging!"

"Let's go." Uwasa ordered. Sayuri twitched and Mitsuru just elbowed her arm, shaking his head.

"Ignore it and let's go." He said. Sayuri snorted, but said nothing more on the matter and they all walked into the building. A long, wooden floored hallway led to two pairs of stairs, but a sign hung on one side with an arrow pointing up. They followed it until they came to a walkway that jutted out of the building and into a cliff.

A door at the end of the now darkened hallway was guarded by two Jounin, who were holding registration cards.

"Registration cards and weapons!" The white haired Jounin ordered, holding out his hand. The team shared looks before they emptied out their weapons pouches, dropping the weapons with clatters and clangs, handing the Jounin their registration.

"Here's a pencil and a number. Take a seat where your number is placed on the back of the chair." The opposite, larger orange-haired Jounin explained. The team nodded and walked through the metal doors.

"Wow." Mitsuru murmured, his eyes scanning the room. It was a long room with a high ceiling, but rounded like a dome. At the head was a pedestal with a computer screen at the top of the wall, several dozen desks set out with chairs and numbers on the backs. Mitsuru glanced down at his number before moving to a desk in the third row, glancing over his shoulder to see Sayuri sit in the sixth row and Uwasa in the fifth row.

Mitsuru sighed and leaned on his elbow, tapping his pencil on his desk. After a while, Yuko came over and took a seat at Mitsuru's left and Kiku on his right. He paused, letting his eyes wonder up. _Huh… If this is a written test and I can't figure out the answers, I can just easily copy off one of these two._ He thought with a sneaky grin.

Two rows over and to the left, sixth row, Nakusu took a seat between Lei and Hitsugi, but said nothing as he sat quietly, holding his pencil between his fingers with a deadpan stare before he felt like someone was looking at him. He glanced up to the row in front of him, down two seats to find Kimiko eagerly taking a seat between Zakuro and Tsutomu. She flashed a look behind her at Nakusu, who frowned in response at her.

She winked and whipped back around happily, setting her toy fox on the desk beside her as she held her pencil over the desk, giggling eagerly. Zakuro simply sighed, leaning on his elbow and drumming his fingers while Tsutomu sat silent with his hands folded under his chin in wait.

Two rows up, Kazuhiko sat down quietly and almost immediately folded his arms on the desk, dropping his head down to sleep, but the jar at his side seemed to vibrate a little, making him look down with a frown. The black darkness within the jar swirled around in a circle before calming down.

"That thing better not mess up our chances of passing." Arisu said, taking a seat beside her brother, her mismatched eyes glaring at the front of the room past her glasses. Kazuhiko looked up with a bit of a pout before looking at the front of the room.

"It's fine. Inuke said the jar was sealed tight with some jutsu that Kabuto guy left on it…" He mumbled, scratching under his beanie before he dropped his forehead back to his arms. Arisu rolled her eyes and made a face of disgust before she looked straight ahead again.

The chatter amongst the Genin slowly came to a halt as the exam proctor stepped into the room. Everyone went silent as the woman's black heels clicked on the concrete floor. She took up a position at the front of the room by the pedestal, thrusting her hands on her hips. Her red hair was choppy and short on the right side, long and combed on the left with a pair of oval brown glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose. She wore a long sleeves light purple shirt that hung past her fingertips, the torso part just above her belly button. The collar of the shirt was black, covering her neck and shoulders, matching a pair of knee-length shorts.

"Welcome to the first part of the exams! I am Karin and I will be the proctor of this portion of the exams!" She announced firmly, her eyes flickering across the bunches of Genin in amusement as some whispered amongst themselves. Her eyes landed on a particularly Genin, her eyes widening slightly.

_That kid… His face is almost exactly like… Sasuke's…_ She thought, her red eyes glowing behind her glasses before she smirked to herself and thrust a hand out dramatically.

"All right, listen up! I am having my assistant pass your tests. The test is thirty pages long, front and back. You must complete the test within an hour and a half. All questions MUST be filled out and answered or you will fail. Cheating is strictly prohibited, so don't waste your time tryin'! The final question, question thirty, will appear on the screen above and you must write the answer down on the very back of your test." Karin barked in explanation, then glanced sideways toward the white-haired Jounin from the hallway as he stumbled in. He was dressed in a crème flak jacket with Getsugakure's symbol imprinted on the back, a lilac jumpsuit with white trims underneath. His headband hung on a strap that held his large sword on his back.

"Did I miss anything?" He asked, holding a bunch of papers in his arms, his purple eyes darting around the room. Karin twitched and shook a fist at him comically.

"Asshole! You were supposed to be in here at least two minutes ago!" She barked.

"Shut up, you ugly whore," Suigetsu snorted as he started tossing tests down on the desks, ignoring Karin's comical look of anger, "Two minutes isn't that late."

"I'll squish you like a bug if you don't shut up and do your job!" Karin barked almost crazily, then stopped to see everyone in the room staring at her before she cleared her throat calmly, folding her hands behind her back quickly. She waved her hand at them as Suigetsu finished passing out the papers, coming to stand beside her with a little huff.

"I can't believe we're doing this," He muttered quietly to her, watching the Genin write their names on the tests, "Maybe we should go back to robbing the contraband that those big criminals keep passing back and forth, like Akatsuki or that huge army that took over the Land of Rivers or-"

"Ssh," Karin hissed at him, elbowing him in the ribs before she coughed, calling attention to her, "You may begin the test when I say begin! Please be aware as there may only be three of us in here, it doesn't mean you aren't being watched from every angle! If you are caught cheating, not only will you fail, but your team will also fail and you will be blocked from the exams. You cannot leave any questions blank and your team's scores will be mounded together. The highest score you can obtain is 450 and the lowest score you can get and still pass is 350. One of you can completely fail, but the other two must have high scores. Well, good luck, kiddies! You may begin!"

Immediately, everyone looked down, reading the first question. Mitsuru's eyes widened before he winced. _What the hell kind of question is this? It's geometry! What does that have to do with being a shinobi?_ He thought angrily, tapping his pencil on his test. He peeked past his hair at Yuko and Kiku's paper. Glee shot through him as he watched Kiku's pencil move. He smirked.

_No cheating… Unless you don't get caught! Ha!_ He thought proudly and allowed his Sharingan to slowly turn on. He hunched over his test, trying to give the appearance of a struggling Genin while he watched Kiku's pencil move, his following in the same pattern.

Meanwhile, Nakusu was already on the second page, his pencil zooming as he scribbled everything down with wispy, sharp handwriting. He didn't even need to cheat, as he noticed Mitsuru had already activated his Sharingan to copy off the person next to him. Nakusu sighed quietly to himself, closing his visible eye for a split second, still writing before he opened it.

Sayuri smirked, her eyes flying over the questions before she wrote them, the confidence inside her boiling like lava as well as hot excitement tightening her chest. _Oh, this is so easy! A little thinking to do, but what test doesn't require it? This is all basic stuff! Even if Mitsuru totally fails it, Uwasa and I will definitely keep our score at the exact minimum to pass._ She thought with a confident nod to herself as she flipped to the next page.

Uwasa frowned, scanning the test over before he even bothered to read the questions. He sighed and turned back to the front. _Some of these are rather difficult… Of course, I could handle these easily. Some I might need to glance around for. From the looks of it, there are others cheating, inconspicuously or otherwise… They made this a little easy. There has to be a catch to it._ He thought as he wrote out the answers.

Shisui pouted, leaning his chin on his hand as he scanned the first question over and over again before he shrugged, grinning to himself._ Haha, they never said it had to be the right answer! I'll just put something random, like 89899...69. Haha._ Shisui giggled quietly to himself and doodled off to the side as well as randomly guessing.

Kazuhiko yawned, staring at the paper as he tucked his pencil behind his ear with a bit of a frown. The answers were easy, but why take the time to write them? He paused, taking a quick peek out the corner of his eye at Arisu, who was flying through it so fast that she was already on page four. Kazuhiko paused, rolling his eyes up and closing them before he sighed, hurriedly trying to catch up as he wrote the answers with his sloppy chicken scratch.

Yuuma studied the questions for a moment, took a deep breath before he began to write down the answers, quickly. He had no doubt in his mind that Nakusu was bound to get a hundred percent, himself also. He also had some confidence in Yuriye as she was rather smart as well.

Toshiyuki easily smiled down at his paper, guessing on the first answer before he easily followed it up with the right ones, pausing to write down a ridiculous one before moving on. He was going to have a lot of fun with this test!

Kiku knew Mitsuru was copying off her paper before he even activated his Sharingan. The feeling of his eyes watching her pencil move didn't go unnoticed and it was rather obvious, but Kiku didn't bother to point it out. In fact, she moved on with her work, easily flying through the answers. She'd known most of them for a while now and they stuck in her mind like the ABC's!

Tsume squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, staring at the test with a pained and annoyed grimace, squeezing the pencil tightly in his fist and almost breaking it. He was embarrassing himself, he knew as he blushed lightly and easily. The question was merely a blur of symbols and it upset him. He was tempted to simple scribble something down, however, realization hit him and he reached into his weapons pouch. He felt the frames of the glasses his sensei had handed him before they had taken off. He slowly took them out, placing them on and hurriedly catching up, hiding the glasses by hunching over.

Noroi didn't have a single issue, except the questions that dealt with proper grammar or mental choices, such as 'save the comrade or complete the mission' sort of questions and he hated them. He knew he should save his comrades, but something in the back of his mind told him to stick to the mission at hand.

Nobuo released as soon as the paper fell in front of him that he would have difficulties, but he had made several plans on the way here. He knew there was going to be a written portion of the exams and to his delight, Plan A worked. His fingers ran over the words, easily making them out before he wrote down the answers.

Tsutomu read each question twice, just to be positive as well as scanning his answers. He paused, frowning as his eyes fell on a particular word that was spelled wrong. He reread it a few times, got the hint and wrote down the answer, but as he read the questions twice over as well as some answers, he noticed other spelling mistakes, making his eyebrows rise in suspicion.

Huyu wondered for a while if the female was really even a shinobi. She dressed like a fool and her spelling was absolutely terrible. He rolled his eyes before frowning as his eyes went over his answers as soon as he finished. _Weird… Some of the easiest words are spelled wrong, or using the wrong symbol. I'm missing something here…_ He thought, tensing up.

Haruhi had easily written down most of the answers himself, taking some time to think them over before actually writing them and having to use some Sharingan tricks as well as reflections to get the answers to the ones that were beyond him. By the time he wrote the last answer, he glanced up, surprised. He'd noticed a couple teams missing from the room. Had they been removed while he was sucked into the test?

"Pencils down!" Karin shouted, her voice echoing in the room, making everyone drop their pencils, the calmer ones placing them down gently without a sound. Karin's eyes flitted over the Genin before she put a hand on her hip, closing her eyes in a concentrated frown.

"Got the last question ready?" Suigetsu asked, almost in a mocking tone and getting rammed in the ribs again, making him yelp. Karin huffed, folding her arms tightly over her chest.

"Shut up. I'm annoyed. Only a couple teams were removed, the rest of them still here." She muttered, her eyes scanning the younger generation before she glanced up at the computer screen, giving almost a nod to the person controlling it. The computer screen blinked and grew into a glowing black before neon blue words flashed up onto the screen.

"For those of you who can't read it, the questions is: Only one color but not one size, stuck at the bottom yet easily flies, present in sun but not in rain, doing no harm and feeling no pain. What am I? It's more of a riddle, if you will, but you must answer this. If you get the last question correct, you will pass regardless of the wrong answers you put on the rest of the test. Get it wrong and your and your team fail completely. You have ten minutes to come up with a good solid answer." Karin informed sternly, then stomped her foot and nodded for the students to answer, however, no one made a move to write anything down.

Karin smirked confidently, her arms folded and her foot tapping lightly on the concrete as Suigetsu stood beside her with a more 'I-can't-believe-this-is-so-easy' look.

"Are you kidding me," He muttered, "This is so easy, even I know it." Karin huffed, smacking him upside the head. Suigetsu opened his mouth to yell at her, but she smacked a hand over his mouth, glaring.

"Ssh!" She snapped. Suigetsu rolled his eyes and shoved her hand away, glancing toward the group.

Sayuri frowned, rereading the question on the computer screen, her dark eyes narrowed as she read it. _Wow… That's a little complicated… Only one, but not one size, stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies, present in the sun, but not in the rain, doing no harm and feeling no pain…_ She thought, then lowered her eyes to her test, going back to the beginning of it and rereading it, her eyes scanning quickly. Her frown only deepened in concentration before her eyes caught it. The spelling mistakes. She scribbled the mistakes down in the corner of her paper slowly.

Tsutomu caught on quickly, writing the misspellings down as the answer for the final question before he pieced it together.

Kiku blinked in realization, her eyes widening slightly before they returned to normal and she scribbled the answer down, giving her eyes a little roll when Mitsuru mocked her movements. _He's either really lazy or really stupid…_ She thought with a slight sweat drop.

Nakusu leaned on his elbow, resting his chin on his knuckles as he set his pencil down, closing his visible eye contently as the answer was very clear to him as soon as the riddle was read. He knew he wasn't being cocky either as the spelling errors were so obvious, it made him want to laugh.

Slowly, but surely, Karin found herself becoming more and more disappointed as she watched the students scribble down their answers before the computer monitor beeped, signaling that the time was up.

"All right," Karin began loudly, "The answer to the final question. It's something that every ninja must deal with, whether literally or figuratively. You face this thing every day of your life and I sure hope you all got it right or else you're screwed! Now… Hand up your tests and I will look them over." Everyone shared looks, but obeyed, handing their tests to the person in front of them and so on until everyone in the front row was holding a huge stack of thick tests.

Suigetsu walked on by, snatching up each handful of packets and handing them to Karin, who peeked through them, glancing up every so often at the students. A couple times she found herself on the verge of laughter.

The Genin were definitely creative! She easily caught a couple perfect scores, a few lower scores, and some in between. Some of the ninja had even written down completely irrelevant answers, making her snort with laughter and Suigetsu stare at her flatly. She sighed after a while, then nodded to Suigetsu before she looked up.

"All right. As much as it pisses me off," Karin began rather calmly with a smug look on her face, "All the tests handed in have the correct answer. I'm sure most of you found it by looking through the tests and finding the mistakes that led you to the correct answer. In the real world, not all ninja are stealthy. They think they have everything right and in place, no matter how high their status is, but they leave behind the simplest of mistakes."

"That's what the answer sums up to," She went on, even earning a curious stare from Suigetsu, "The correct answer to the final and most important question is _shadow_. It has several meanings in this test. First off, what I said before. Some ninja believe themselves to be so stealthy, that they hide in the shadows and sneak around without being noticed, when really, they're so obvious that it pisses you off that they underestimate you or even make you laugh out loud. Second off, a smaller meaning, even the Hokage, Raikage, Mizukage, Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and so on and so forth are over confident in their abilities. They think they can protect their villages by sending out spies to other villages, or to spy on criminal organizations, but they're doing it so obviously, I don't even get why they have the title of assassin anymore."

"Karin, what're you doing?" Suigetsu hissed, frowning as he poked her. Karin completely ignored him, her expression stern now.

"Third, shadows are pretty obedient since they're attached to everything. Trees, houses, even ourselves. They're everywhere and sometimes, you overlook them for what's really inside them. Do that and you're as low as the ninja who think they're actually shadows, when they're nothing, but posers. All in all, the base of this all is that you must be cautious of who you trust, be cautious of those you let in. You never know when someone that you hold dear, who you trust with your life… Might just take it and stomp it right into the dirt." She finished, folding her arms over her chest.

Suigetsu frowned and looked at the Genin, who seemed to be pondering the speech deeply. Suigetsu sighed quietly, peeking at Karin, who was gripping the packets tightly in her fist now. _She's talking about what happened, like, what? Twelve years ago or something? I figured she let it go… I can't believe she'd even bother to remember that asshole… Sasuke. Tch. He's a total waste of memory…_ He thought with a bit of a huff.

"Anyway," Karin sighed, setting the packets on the pedestal, waving her hand out at them, "You've all passed the first portion of the Chuunin Exams! Congratulations and good luck with the second part of the exams!" The Genin started talking amongst themselves now, getting a bit rowdy, but Karin didn't care as she turned to the computer screen with a sigh, staring at the riddle.

"You okay?" Suigetsu asked, tilting his head to peek at her. Karin blinked, then scowled at him, shoving her hand in his face.

"Don't patronize me. I'm fine. After all that hell we went through before, I don't want these brats doing the same or else all this comfort will die and I'll be really pissed." She retorted before folding her arms over her chest and puffing out her cheeks comically.

"That was nice of you." Juugo said, coming up beside Karin on her left. Karin blinked, then blushed red, twitching.

"I-I wasn't trying to be nice." She managed, but Juugo smiled all-knowingly at her anyway and Suigetsu snickered, earning himself a punch in the arm. The three shinobi all smiled for a split second.

"They're just kids." Juugo commented quietly, his eyes sailing over the chattering room.

"Exactly why they don't need to deal with what we did." Karin stated confidently.

"I guess so," Suigetsu muttered, glancing over his shoulder at the class before looking back with a nod, "It still sounds weird… To think we'd actually be real Jounin in a real village and not a trio of misfits."

"We've grown up." Juugo replied. Suigetsu blinked, then grinned.

"We have, haven't we?" He mused, tapping his chin. Karin rolled her eyes, putting a hand on her hip.

"Some of us have."

"Shut up, Karin, you old hag!"

"OLD HAG? YOU SHUT UP, YOU COCKSUCKER!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"I spoke too soon." Juugo sighed, shaking his head a little and looking toward the entrance to the room to see the doors open to reveal the proctor for the second part of the exams.

"Our time is up." He said to Karin and Suigetsu, who both twitched and stopped arguing to nod. Karin gathered up the tests, holding them close with a blushing smile.

"Hee~ I'm so keeping these~" She sang, hearts practically popping up around her. Suigetsu stuck out his tongue and made a face before they left the room, walking past the Jounin that took his place before the Genin.

"Greetings. I am Mushishokan Tonbo and I will be your next proctor."

**Getsugakure Jounin Lounge**

"So, how's it feel being a sensei?" Kotori asked with a grin as she leaned over the table, looking at Nero, who set down his tea with a sigh.

"I'm going to apologize to Kazuya-sensei for being such a brat. I have no idea how you guys deal with it." He muttered. Kotori laughed. Kakashi gave a one-eyed smile, tilting his head.

"It's hard at times, but you can't hate them that much." He pointed out. Nero paused, his eyes flickering across the ceiling before he shrugged.

"Eh… Only a few times have I ever appreciated them. Nobuo and Hidoi argue like a married couple and Hisako's all right, except for the fact that she's more of a pervert than Lord Jiraiya or the Hokage put together." He drawled. Kakashi sweat dropped and Kotori laughed.

"Is that so? I gotta meet this little girl." She mused. Kakashi averted his eye, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I didn't think Naruto was _that_ well known." He mumbled.

"Are you kidding me? Naruto's legendary all over the world for being a kickass ninja! … And a lover of the ladies." Isao boosted as he hopped over the railing that went around the curved blue sofa, landing in a seat beside Nero, who jumped a little and glared at him.

"I'm proud of Naruto," Guy announced firmly, thumping his fist against his chest before thrusting it into the air, leaping to his feet, "His youth still runs through his veins like a wild fire! Now THAT'S a true ninja!"

"I agree with sensei!" Lee yelled confidently.

"You know," Shikamaru muttered dryly, placing a shogi piece down, "You don't _have_ to call them sensei anymore."

"Hey!" Kotori and Kakashi protested at once, Kakashi a bit quieter. Guy chuckled, putting his fists on his hips.

"It's a sign of eternal dedication and gratitude, young Jounin! Be proud to be a sensei calling your sensei a sensei!" He proclaimed, clenching a fist in front of him as if the power of his short speech was overwhelming.

"Well said, Guy-sensei!" Lee shouted.

"Not to mention it makes you feel younger." Idomu added with a sigh, his leg folded over his other as he leaned back on the sofa.

"He's got a point," Asuma grunted before he lit a cigarette and stuck it between his lips with a nod, "It also brings back some good memories…"

"Oh yea." Kotori agreed with a sigh, smiling lightly. Kakashi shrugged, glancing toward the window that looked out over the village.

"Some good, some bad. Every sensei has run into a bit of trouble… And if I were you, Nero, I'd try and keep those two as content as possible. I've got a bad feeling about it." He explained. Nero frowned, glancing up past the rim of his cup.

"Yea. Same here… I'm working on the bonding thing. It's hard when one of them is practically shy around you and the other is so obnoxious, you've thrown him off a roof before." He muttered.

"You've thrown one of the students off a roof?" Kirumaru asked, perplexed as he gripped his tea cup. Nero sweat dropped.

"Uhh… Well, not so much as thrown as dangle over the edge and accidentally letting go." He replied carefully.

"Either Sunagakure is really strict or nobody likes that kid." TenTen stated with an eye roll as she took a bite out of her onigiri.

"Maybe you should try and be more gentle with them?" Honoka suggested with a smile.

"Or get rougher?" Ayaka added in, making Honoka sweat drop and smack her forehead.

"I agree with Honoka-sensei," Kirumaru put in quietly, "You mentioned earlier that Hidoi was orphaned at a young age. He probably doesn't know what parental affection feels like."

"He's got a point," Kotori offered, "Maybe go a little easier on him… A little."

"And if that doesn't work? He's probably stubborn." Shikamaru pointed out.

"He is." Nero deadpanned.

"Well, you're pretty much screwed. Good luck." Isao stated with a cocky smirk, taking a gulp of his water.

"Thanks for the assistance." Nero muttered sarcastically. Some of the Jounin chuckled before taking bites of their meals and taking sips of their drinks.

"This is so flat…" Kotori mumbled, studying the tea with a cocked brow.

"It's tea." Shikamaru smirked.

"No, I mean, the least they could do was put a little spark in it… Who wants to go get us some sake?" Kotori grinned, glancing around at the Jounin.

"I'm all for it, but I'm not getting up." Nero said, folding his arms over his chest, resting his feet on the table. Isao laughed.

"Alcohol sounds good right about now." He agreed with a nod.

"We shouldn't be getting drunk at a time like this…" Kirumaru began, but Guy was on his feet, thrusting his hips and punching the air.

"That's a great idea! LEE! Fetch us some drink of the gods!" He commanded.

"YES, SENSEI!" Lee shouted and was out of the room in a flash.

"That's one way to do it." Ayaka mused.

"I think Kirumaru has a point, though," Honoka put in, "If we drink too much, we'll be so out of it that if an emergency comes up, we'll be too intoxicated to even focus."

"Oh, we won't get drunk. Just take a couple sips and be done with it." Shikamaru said, suddenly wondering if sake was a good idea or not. He weighted out the options, taking a sip of the tea, making a face and coming to the conclusion that they really did need something better.

"Shikamaru's right," Asuma agreed with a nod, "One or two drinks won't kill us."

"I say we do it! I haven't had a good drink in a long time!" TenTen exclaimed with a laugh, leaning forward in her seat.

"My last drink was a day ago," Nero muttered, earning a few raised eyebrows, "I could go for several right now. I don't get drunk easily anyway."

"I can hold it rather well myself!" Kotori stated proudly.

"Actually, sake doesn't sound too bad right now…" Kakashi mused after a while, pushing his tea cup away.

"Are you really sure we should be doing this?" Kirumaru murmured, watching Lee burst in with bottles and bottles of the alcohol.

"What? Are you afraid you're going to get sick or something?" Isao teased with a snicker, grabbing a bottle and no glass, popping the drink open. Kirumaru blinked.

"Of course not!"

"Then try some!"

"But this really isn't the time! Honoka mentioned if an emergency happens to arise…!"

"Emergency, e-smergency! Go on and take a drink, unless you're a woman." Isao added, laughing out loud.

"Hey! Just what is that supposed to mean?" Kotori demanded, putting a hand on her hip before she popped open a bottle, letting the top smack Isao in the head.

"Ow!"

"Did I do that?"

"Isao, you shouldn't dare him like that," Kakashi warned, "He might not be able to hold his alcohol well." Isao sighed and shrugged, going to sit back down, but Kirumaru took the bottle from him anyway.

"I'm just fine! He's not daring me anything." Kirumaru mumbled, bringing the bottle to his lips and taking a sip. He made a face and coughed, making Isao snicker. Nero, who had taken several gulps, glanced at Kirumaru.

"You ever drink before?" He asked. Kirumaru averted his eyes, then huffed quietly.

"Sure I have." He responded and took another sip.

"Let's see who can drink the fastest!" Kotori proclaimed, slamming her empty bottle down on the table.

"I'm in." Nero stated, going for another bottle. Kotori grinned and grabbed another bottle, taking off the top.

"Count me in!" Isao yelled, snatching a bottle.

"I bet I can drink two bottles more than you!" Guy shouted.

"I bet you 1,000 ryo I can drink more than you can!" Kotori challenged.

"It's a bet!" Guy proclaimed.

"Whoever can drink the most and the fastest?" TenTen questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you even have 1,000 ryo to bet?" Kakashi asked Kotori, who shrugged with a grin before thrusting her bottle forward.

"All those in the contest, cheers!" Kotori announced and brought the bottle to her lips, chugging. Nero, Isao, Guy, Asuma, Kirumaru, and Idomu immediately did the same, chugging their drinks.

"Why do I get a bad feeling from this?" Honoka murmured, then glanced at Ayaka, who was cheering them on.

"I thought I was the only one with that feeling." Shikamaru muttered, glancing at Roku, who had stayed silent throughout the entire thing, just smiling every so often and now just watching with a tilted head.

"You don't drink?" Shikamaru asked him. Roku blinked and smiled lightly, giving his head a little shake.

"Tastes weird." He replied.

"You just have to get used to it, but it's a good thing you don't drink. I'd get a bad feeling if you did… No offense." Shikamaru added. Roku shrugged, watching the spilling alcohol.

"That's why I don't drink. Lose control and I might do something bad." He mumbled, shifting uncomfortably.

"At least someone's responsible." Honoka sighed, smiling at Roku, who smiled back.

"Thank you."

"THREE MORE BOTTLES LEFT!" The other Jounin yelled, hurriedly grabbing for them.

"Lee brought back fourteen bottles and you guys drank them already?" TenTen yelled angrily.

"Where is Lee?" Shikamaru muttered, a question mark blinking above his head before he noticed a flash of Lee's green jumpsuit running for the door.

"I'll fetch some more!" Lee announced, holding one of the three bottles before he bolted.

"That little cheat." Isao huffed, pouting a little.

"He said he'd bring back more," Kotori pointed out with a grin, "So be patient, kid! LEE, HURRY UP!"

"Hypocrite." Nero rolled his eyes, but smirked anyway.

"HAHA! I've drank the most!" Guy yelled.

"Lies! I drank half a bottle more than you!" Kotori accused. Guy gasped, looking around hurriedly for another bottle, knocking some off the table.

"No! I could have sworn I drank a bottle more than you! Unbelievable! You drink fast, Kotori! I applaud you! It makes me want to drink more."

"Oh great." Shikamaru muttered.

"Could be worse, I guess." Honoka pointed out with a light smile. Shikamaru shrugged, giving a little nod. Roku glanced around before rising to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Honoka questioned, her eyes following Roku's stare at the doors to the room.

"Uh… More tea. For us who are not drinking alcohol." Roku replied.

"You don't have to…" Shikamaru started, but Roku just shook his head and smiled.

"I want to. I will be back shortly." He said and walked to the doors, opening them and stepping out. He walked down the hallway, pausing to peer into a room as he watched Lee gathering more bottles of different types of alcohol now, tossing them carelessly into a box on a cart. A few bottles smashed to the floor, splattering the liquid all over the carpeted floor.

Roku sighed and walked on toward a better room. He kept walking on, until he heard voices. He followed the sounds of the voices until he came to another lounging room, three familiar Jounin sitting there. Roku's eyes widened slightly.

He easily recognized Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu, sitting in comfortable black leather chairs.

"I hope they don't die out there. Tonbo mentioned it being a rather dangerous exam." Karin muttered as she drank her tea. Suigetsu gulped down two bottles of water before replying.

"When I looked at those files, I saw two of those Genin are Sasuke's kids! I looked at one of 'em and the youngest looks so much like Sasuke, it's scary." He muttered.

"Yea… It was like taking a peek into the past." Juugo said quietly.

"It unnerved me at first, but when I watched him throughout the time, he acts nothing like Sasuke." Karin pointed out.

"He was acting pretty stuck up and quiet to me." Suigetsu snorted. Karin scowled, throwing her tea cup at him, but he ducked so it smashed on the wall.

"Shut up, dumbass! He was just thinking about something. By the way he acts, he's more thoughtful about his actions. That kid is nothing like Sasuke, except for the way his face is structured." She snapped. Roku frowned and leaned back on the wall, listening to them argue amongst themselves. He tilted his head thoughtfully, then looked up as someone came down the hallway.

Nori, the Jounin with the bandage mask and hair hanging over her constantly changing eyes, came down the hallway quietly, her shoes clicking on the wooden floor. Roku looked at her blankly. She glanced at him out the corner of her eye, both of them turning a slight violet color before turning grayish blue.

Roku flinched and an icy cold feeling shot up his spine. A putrid and hot smell wavered around him as Nori passed. Roku cringed and clamped a hand over his nose. _Her chakra… It smells so odd! It's burning my nose!_ He thought, squeezing his eyes shut.

_I haven't smelled chakra so strong since that bad guy, Kotaro's… Who is this sensei?_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: 16 pages… Next one will be longer for sure, though! :D The first part of the exams was short, but only because it was the written portion… But the next part will be longer for sure! And definitely more actiony! Also, I would like to mention that the festival coming up just before the third part of the exams requires that all attendants wear formal clothing, such as kimono, hakama, or even a yukata. If you're not sure what they are, Wikipedia has some good explanations! For each of the OCs that you submitted that are in the exams (or will be coming to watch) please provide me with an explanation for their clothing! You can just put it in a review if you want. :) Well, I think that's about it. Thank you so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are loved very much!**


	7. Chapter 7

**UPDATE! YAY!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction!**

**Except for my characters, but since there are so many and I'm too lazy to write all their names and stuff, I'll just list the newly introduced ones:**

**Mushishokan Tonbo**

**I think that's the only new one… lol.**

**A/N: Third POV**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Seven: **Chuunin Exams, Part Two! The Dangers Get Worse!**

"I am Mushishokan Tonbo and I am the proctor for the second portion of the Chuunin Exams." The light, turquoise eyed Jounin introduced. His teal hair was tipped light blue, parted off to the left and a small bit was braided near his temple. He dressed in a black jumpsuit top with a low collar, t-shirt sleeves and the left torso portion hanging to his ankle while the right stayed up by his waist. A pale yellowish crème flak jacket, unzipped, with light blue pants and matching ninja shoes made up the rest of his uniform.

"For the next part of the exams, you will all need to follow me into the next room." Tonbo said, nodding for the Genin to rise. The shinobi all glanced at each other before they stood up, following Tonbo toward the other end of the room. Tonbo made a hand sign and held his palm to the wall, allowing for a portion of it to rise up, revealing a narrow dark hallway.

Tonbo led the way inside, the shoes of all the shinobi scuffing or clicking on the concrete before their shoes all met dirt.

"Holy crap! This place is huge!" Mitsuru exclaimed, making Uwasa roll his eyes and Sayuri smirk.

"Wowww! It's like it's only little village!" Shisui cried in awe, his eyes flickering around the large area.

Said area was like a village in itself. Buildings, small wooded areas, shops, everything. Several groups of mannequins also took up some of the space. Some were missing limbs or were scorched, dressed in sloppy clothes or draped with material. The only thing that made the entire area creepy was the large dome that was capped over it.

The dome kept the area plunged in an eerie dimness as there were a few lights turned on in the buildings and some lanterns put out, but other than that, the rest of the 'room' was dark.

"Now," Tonbo began, turning to face the group of Genin, "Welcome to the second part of the Chuunin Exams. This part is probably going to be one of the hardest parts you will encounter and I am giving you all a chance to drop out now." Several protests of annoyance rang out as soon as he spoke.

"What the hell?" Mitsuru demanded.

"Why would we wanna drop out of we worked so hard on the first part?" Shisui cried, confused.

"Don't take us lightly!" Ketsuraku protested angrily.

"You'll regret underestimating us!" Kimiko yelled, clenching her fists.

"All of you be quiet," Tonbo commanded, the Genin obeying quickly, "The reason I said that was because Getsugakure has only hosted the Chuunin Exams once very long ago, even before your grandparents were born. That one time, we have had a couple Genin killed within this part of the exam as it's extremely dangerous, possibly considered an A-ranked mission sort of deal. Now, if none of you are going to exit, I will continue to explain the exam."

Everyone was silent now, glancing at each other before looking at the Jounin, who cleared his throat and folded his arms over his chest.

"For this part of the exams, you must stick with your three man squad units. You are to search the area for three shogi pieces. Once you have obtained the three pieces, you must search for a shogi board and place the pieces in a particular order. At that point, you will be teleported back to the room where you took the first part of the exams. You must complete this within five days and you MUST have the correct pieces and the correct game board. There are tricks and traps within this area. You must be cautious. As soon as you handed in your registration, you have basically submitted to the exams and we cannot be held responsible for anyone who perishes within this dome."

"There are no rules and if you confront another team for a playing piece, you may battle to the death for it. A different person must place the piece on the board for the teleportation to work. One person cannot put two pieces down. The exam will begin as soon as I give each team a place to start at." Tonbo finished and nodded to the teams.

After several minutes, all the teams were placed at different parts of the area. It was a large area, so none of the teams could see the other at their starting place.

"I've never even played shogi!" Mitsuru complained, running a hand through his hair as he scanned the building that they stood by. Uwasa frowned, folding his arms over his chest.

"You're both lucky that I have." He muttered. Sayuri snorted.

"All we basically need to know is what the pieces look like and where they have to go on the board. You don't necessarily have to know how to play." She pointed out. Uwasa rolled his eyes.

"Are you kidding? He said specific places on the board. It's obvious you need to know at least how to set up the board." He replied. Sayuri huffed, putting a hand on her hip and looking the other way with a bit of a pout.

Down several buildings at an abandoned curry shop, Nakusu leaned against a wall while Yuuma sat on his hunches, resting his arms on his knees, studying the shop.

"There is no doubt that we have all played shogi at least once in our lives, correct?" Nakusu asked, frowning at his team. Yuuma gave a nod and Yuriye paused, tilting her head.

"I've never actually played it myself, but I've seen how they set up the board." She replied quietly. Nakusu nodded.

"That is fine. My only concern is the confrontation with other teams." He muttered. Yuuma glanced up at him, frowning a little. He knew as well as Yuriye and Kakashi that Nakusu was basically useless when it came to the actual fighting. Of course, he didn't underestimate Nakusu's intelligence as it by far beat everyone in their village, however, he had a strong feeling he'd have to probably save Nakusu more than once. He sighed at the thought.

In a more wooded area, Kazuhiko scaled the trees with a tired frown, putting a hand in his pocket, the other resting on top of the jar. The jar felt like it was buzzing slightly with activity, warming his hand as well. Arisu folded her arms over her chest, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

"If either of you jeopardize the mission, I'll personally kill you myself. The last thing mother and father need are two useless children." She muttered. Kazuhiko glanced at her out the corner of his eye flatly, then back up at the ceiling of the dome.

"Speak for yourself." He replied dully. Kimiko snorted.

"Both of you are stupid! Mom and dad care about all of us equally, so don't bring them into this! The mission is so easy, even I know it and I'm only eleven! Besides, I have a mission of my own." She stated with an evil giggle as she gazed down at her fox plushie.

"What kind of mission?" Arisu demanded in annoyance. Kazuhiko sighed, closing his eyes and leaning on a tree.

"She's talking about that Uchiha kid that she met in town yesterday…"

"Ugh, are you kidding me? Kimiko, don't waste your time!"

"I will waste my time! I want Sharingan! I want it, I want it! And I want his! Only HIS Sharingan!"

"And just what the hell makes his so special?" Arisu demanded angrily, digging her nails into her arms. Kimiko giggled and flashed her sister a sharp, evil look with her single useful eye.

"Because, dummy. His Sharingan has GOT to be the same as his daddy's Sharingan, the most powerful Sharingan that ever existed in the world! Not to mention, he's probably already used to covering one eye with that headband, so why not? He's going to make it very, very fun. When you remove the eye for me, make sure you do it slowly so he screams." She added.

"And what makes you think I'm going to do it for you?" Arisu challenged. Kimiko raised an eyebrow at her, then smirked.

"Hear that, Kyuubi," She cooed to her plushie, "Sis says she's not gonna help her baby sister get what she wants, even if it means she can kill a few people." Arisu's eyes glowed.

"Whatever. Just keep your mind focused and don't do anything stupid."

On the other side of the dome, sitting inside a run-down hotel lobby, Shisui sat on the arm of a chair with a pout, Haruhi sitting beside him and Riko up and beaming excitedly.

"This is gonna be so much fun! We can do this!" Riko exclaimed confidently. Shisui grinned now, sliding off the arm.

"You're right! We'll be Chuunin in no time!" He agreed eagerly. Haruhi sighed.

"Do either of you even know _how_ to play shogi?" He asked.

"Noo," Shisui drawled, then beamed and poked Haruhi in the nose, "But you do, don't chya?" Haruhi blinked and scowled, waving Shisui's hand out of his face before standing up, folding his arms.

"Of course, I do. Just don't slack off just because I know which pieces are which and how to set them up on the board." He replied.

"Show off." Shisui pouted, sticking out his tongue. Riko giggled.

A ways off Kiku studied the building surrounding her team, Emiko patiently waiting for the signal to go off and Hikari grinning the entire time, her eyes darting up and down the buildings.

"That first part was pretty easy. Think we can pass this part?" She asked, tilting her head to her sisters. Emiko glanced at her, then closed her eyes with a nod.

"We've all played shogi at one point and even if you don't remember much, Kiku will." She answered, then peeked at Kiku, who glanced at her.

"Of course. The pieces on the board portion of the exam is going to be simple, however… Be sure to put as much concentration on the battling other teams as the shogi part. I've got a strong feeling we'll run into trouble." Kiku explained quietly with a slight frown.

"We can handle it." Emiko replied, cocking a brow at her Kiku, who nodded slowly as if still toying with the ideas in her mind. Hikari grinned.

"That's a good thing to hear."

Sitting on a rooftop, Asobu nibbled on the end of her peppermint stick, her arms folded as her legs dangling over the edge of the rooftop. Behind her, Noroi stood stiffly with his back to Kangoku, who was gently petting his snake around his neck.

"This is gonna be exciting. A lot of these Genin are younger than me." Kangoku mused with a smirk, Hachi hissing softly in agreement. Noroi averted his eyes with a slight grimace, his hand sliding over his stomach and gripping slightly.

"E-Even though the odds a-are in our favor, I have-have like this really bad feeling in my s-s-stomach." He managed. Asobu glanced up at him, frowning.

"Don't say that, Noroi. I'm confident in our abilities and I give you my word that if your life is danger, I will be right there to help you." She replied. Noroi blinked and blushed deep red, clasping a hand over his face. Kangoku snickered, his snake practically mocking the laughter as well.

"Don't fall in love with Asobu, she's more man than woman." He taunted. Asobu twitched, a vein pounding in her forehead and she swung her fist back into Kangoku's leg. Kangoku yelped and grabbed his shin, hopping on one foot.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Down below, a couple buildings down and standing near a fruit cart, Hisako danced from foot to foot excitedly, her hands clasped.

"Ne, this is gonna be so fun! I'm so excited for this! I'm getting chills!" She giggled eagerly before spinning on her toe to face her teammates. Hidoi snorted, his arms folded tightly over his chest.

"You kidding me? This is gonna be cake. I don't care who we're up against. I'll easily kill them without a second thought. Just see that you both do the same, or else you'll both die." He stated. Nobuo averted his cloudy eyes, his expression tight and obviously annoyed as a vein throbbed in his forehead.

"If you don't stop being so cocky, you're going to die before we can even get the pieces on the board." He muttered. Hidoi twitched as Hisako sweat dropped.

"Shut up, Nobuo! At least I can see where to put the pieces, you blind bat!" He snarled. Nobuo gritted his teeth and went to slam his fist into Hidoi's face, but Hisako practically glomped his arm, hanging onto it.

"Nobuo, please! We can't attack each other! We have to stick together on this and fight to save each other!" Hisako whined softly with a little pout. Nobuo stared at her blankly of course, but even so, a light blush crossed his dark face before he looked away.

"Right."

"Brat." Hidoi muttered to Nobuo, sticking out his tongue. Nobuo twitched and Hisako smacked her forehead as both the boys whipped around with their backs to each other, arms folded.

"I am so confident right now," Lei sang as he swayed back and forth on his heels, his arms folded behind his back as he stood on the edge of a rooftop, "This is gonna be a great round!"

"Definitely," Yuko agreed with a nod, frowning slightly, "Just don't stop to play around, Lei, we really don't have the time. Five days isn't enough to find three tiny game pieces."

"Aw, you act like I'm going to be a misfit." Lei pouted. Zakuro folded his arms over his chest, adjusting his dark sunglasses.

"That's because you are a misfit, Lei." He responded. Lei gave an open-mouthed smile, blushing light and hearts and flowers practically bubbling up around him.

"Ohh, ho! You're embarrassing me, please stop!"

"That wasn't a compliment, you dunderhead." Zakuro seethed, twitching in annoyance. Yuko sighed.

"Oh, don't start now, Zakuro-"

"You can hit me if you want." Zakuro offered, the perverted sense in his voice so creepily evident that Yuko just stepped up beside Lei, who snickered.

"No, no. I'm fine." Yuko muttered.

Tonbo walked back to the entrance of the area, jumping up onto a platform that hung out over the doors. He turned to face the miniature village, frowning as he brought his arms into a cross in front of him. He closed his eyes tightly before he swung them down, hands signs being made at the same time before he flung them outwards.

"Summoning! Eyes in the Dark!" Thousands of small dragonflies fluttered forward in a cloud, zipping around with soft buzzing sounds as they blanketed through the village. Tonbo cleared his throat, then closed his eyes.

"Let the second part of the Chuunin Exams BEGIN!" He announced, his voice echoing through the summoning technique before the dragonflies all vanished in little clouds of smoke all over the place.

As soon as he spoke, all the teams shot about.

Mitsuru shot forward, kicking up dirt as he darted into a building. Uwasa and Sayuri followed close behind.

"Three pieces," Uwasa informed sternly, bolting up some stairs with his teammates, "Look for something that looks like a shogi piece and I'll tell you if it's a real piece."

"Did he say what size it had to be?" Mitsuru asked as he stared out a window. Uwasa stopped beside him, frowning at him with a raised eyebrow. Sayuri rolled her eyes.

"What kind of stupid question is that? Of course it has to be… Holy crap." After following Mitsuru wide-eyed gaze, she dropped her arms limply to her sides, staring out the window. Uwasa peered past them, blinking in surprise.

"Wow." He managed. Just outside the window, what may appear to be a rice field to those on the ground, was actually a large shogi board. Mitsuru's jaw dropped.

"Damn." He whistled after a moment. Uwasa frowned, leaning on the sill and peering out the window.

"That's interesting… Tonbo-sensei never mentioned anything about the size… And from the looks of it, there seems to be a barn on the other side of the field. Judging by the distance, it may take us a couple hours to get over there, but even so, there may be shogi pieces inside big enough to fit on the board." He murmured thoughtfully. Sayuri and Mitsuru stared at him, then at each other, then back again.

"I guess that works." Mitsuru shrugged. Sayuri frowned, leaning away from the window. Her eyes flashed as she noticed something dart out the corner of her eye as she leaned away from the sill.

"Uwasa, look out!" She barked and grabbed Uwasa by the back of his shirt, tearing him backwards and slamming into Mitsuru, who yelped and wind milled his arms before he went crashing down the stairs. Sayuri winced and caught the stair rails, gripping Uwasa by the back of his shirt still so he didn't fall down the stairs and on top of Mitsuru.

"What the hell, Sayuri?" Mitsuru yelled angrily, throwing himself into a sitting position, holding the side of his head.

"Someone's out there." Sayuri hissed and held a finger to her lips. Mitsuru blinked and went silent, sitting still. Uwasa frowned, nodded to Sayuri to let him go and slowly turned onto his hands and knees, peering up and out the window. He narrowed his eyes, then leaned back, sitting between Sayuri and Mitsuru on the staircase, making a hand sign and holding it in front of his face, closing his eyes.

"Byakugan!" He whispered and his eyes flickered open. He concentrated hard, lowering his hands into his lap as he scanned the area. He could make out several teams moving around, but much further away than the person who was moving around on the floor right above them. Uwasa frowned as the person seemed to just slip through the window.

He immediately recognized the Genin as the one who was carrying the jar around, the one with the beanie cap. His frowned deepened as two females came in after them, one of them obnoxiously complaining while the other just spat a curse at her.

Mitsuru watched Uwasa studying whatever he was seeing, moving his hands back to scoot closer to the wall. His hand missed and fell to the step next to him, making him gasp a little, his hand landing on something sharp. He winced and looked down, glaring through the darkness before his eyes widened slightly at the sight of a shogi piece. He whipped it up and brushed the dust off, glancing at his teammates.

"Uwasa! Sayuri!" He whispered. Sayuri went to glare at him, holding her finger to her lips, but blinked when she saw the piece in Mitsuru's palm. She tugged on Uwasa's sleeve hurriedly.

"Uwasa-"

"Move!" Uwasa shouted and shoved Mitsuru hard. Mitsuru winced and ducked the rest of the way, slamming into the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Sayuri darted upwards, landing on the top floor, Uwasa landing on top of her just as the floor above busted open, dust and rubble flying down into the stairs, practically snapping them in half.

"Holy shit!" Sayuri gasped, wincing as Uwasa pushed himself up on his hands and knees above her, glancing over his shoulder quickly.

"Get up! Hurry!" Uwasa ordered, scrambling to his feet and tearing Sayuri up. Sayuri yelped a little, slamming into the wooden wall of the building beside Uwasa as the dust cleared. Arisu rose to her feet, standing straight up, her eyes glowing.

"I thought I heard some rats down here." She muttered. Kimiko dropped down beside her, laughing out loud.

"Well, well, well! We have one Uchiha, one Hyuuga, and one Hatake! Nice catch, Arisu!" She giggled, glancing down at Mitsuru, who glared up at her.

"What the hell? You're just a brat!" Mitsuru spat at her. Kimiko twitched and glared before her eyes twinkled.

"Oh! Look who has a shogi piece! Kazuhiko! Kazuhiko, he has a piece, right?" She yelled up at Kazuhiko, who was sitting on the edge of the opening in the floor above. Kazuhiko peered down, resting his arms on his knees as he watched the scene.

"Yup. Go fetch, Kimiko." He replied. Kimiko squealed with glee.

"Yay!" She yelled.

"Mitsuru, look out!" Sayuri and Uwasa yelled in unison. Kimiko hooked her plushie onto her waist again and whipped out several hand signs. A huge blast of cool air shot through the walls by the staircase, shooting downwards toward Mitsuru like bullets. Mitsuru winced and stuck the piece in his weapons pouch, doing a spin and ducking down onto his stomach to avoid a blast that went right over his head.

He spun around, getting to his feet and whipping out a kunai and his eyes glowing red with Sharingan. Kimiko smirked and stole a kunai from Arisu's pouch, leaping down at Mitsuru, who swung his kunai up to block Kimiko's attack. Their kunai clanged and sparked with the force behind each attack.

Arisu frowned a little, then glanced at Sayuri and Uwasa, who glared at her.

"Don't waste your time attacking me if you want to live." She stated.

"Big talk for a girl who doesn't dress like a shinobi!" Sayuri retorted. Arisu's eyes narrowed, but she made no move. Kazuhiko averted his eyes, yawning a little as he leaned back on his hand.

"Are you going to take that, Arisu, or are you too afraid to go up against a Hatake?" He asked. Arisu blinked, jerked her head up to glare at her older brother before she looked down at Sayuri, who smirked challengingly at her. Arisu swung a hand out, making a hand sign and causing her palm to glow an eerie pale green.

"You asked for it." She muttered, then darted forward. Uwasa and Sayuri both jumped in opposite directions. Arisu's hand slammed right through the wall they had been leaning on, causing it to burst into splinters. Sayuri's eyes flickered as Arisu whipped around, swinging her hand in the process. Sayuri just barely managed to dodge back with a wince. She swung her foot up and knocked Arisu's arm back, making a grab for her kunai.

Arisu's eyes practically narrowed to dangerous slits, her lips pressed tightly together as she swung her own foot up, kicking Sayuri in the hand. Sayuri yelled in pain, dropping the kunai as the sound of a disgusting crack followed. She tore her hand back, grimacing as she realized her index finger was broken.

"Sayuri!" Uwasa gritted his teeth and darted forward, swinging his foot around to kick Arisu, however, she jumped and did a flip, landing upside down on the floor above. Uwasa jerked his head up, glaring as his Byakugan activated. Sayuri glared after her.

"Damn it!" She cursed and quickly made a hand sign. Arisu's eyes stayed narrowed before they slowly widened. The scene before her slowly seemed to swirl and become unfocused. Gentle tinkling sounds, like a xylophone, toned and each time it did, the scene in front of her rippled.

She felt the heat of her chakra slowly draining away, making her become dizzy before she managed to bring her hand up, releasing the Genjutsu in a flash. She winced as she went straight for the ground, if Kazuhiko hadn't of shot down, catching her up in his arms and darting backwards.

"I really hate doing this," Kazuhiko muttered, making Arisu gasp in surprise, "Saving your butt than Kimiko's most likely."

"I-I didn't ask you to help me, you asshole!" Arisu snarled at him, clenching her fists.

"No," Kazuhiko replied flatly, "But it was instinct." He set Arisu down on her feet, where she wobbled a little. Sayuri grabbed her kunai again and took her chance to slam it right toward Arisu's gut, however, Kazuhiko grabbed her wrist as the kunai was just an inch away from hitting Arisu in the stomach. Arisu stiffened, her face paling slightly.

Sayuri gritted her teeth, glaring at Kazuhiko, who looked at her past heavy eyelids, his expression somewhat annoyed and tired.

"Give up on attacking my sister. She's obviously in no shape to battle you after that Genjutsu you pulled. I'm surprised. Most Genjutsu wouldn't be able to trap her like that…" Kazuhiko murmured, then threw Sayuri's wrist away after twisting it to make her drop the kunai. Sayuri glared at him.

"So what? Are you going to try and fight me? I'll get rid of you just as easily." She snapped. Behind her, Uwasa narrowed his eyes, frowning as he scanned Kazuhiko up and down. His eyes stopped on the jar on Kazuhiko's waist. His eyes widened.

Inside the jar was a swirling mass of black, but not the type of black it was when normally being looked at. This black was glowing and swirling around violently with sparks of purple bouncing around with it, like electricity.

Uwasa turned off his Byakugan, grabbing Sayuri's arm, jerking on it. Sayuri yelped and glared at him.

"What the-"

"Sayuri, stop. There's something about this guy… That jar he has is heavy with dark matter. Attacking him will kill you in an instant and probably the rest of us too." He warned. Sayuri frowned and whipped back, looking at the jar of black smoke that hung on Kazuhiko's waist. She lifted her eyes back up at Kazuhiko, who stared back at her flatly.

"… Whatever." She seethed and jerked away from Uwasa, watching as Kazuhiko glanced toward the staircase, just as Kimiko was slammed into a step.

"Kimiko, that's enough," Kazuhiko commanded, making Kimiko jerk her head up to glare at him, "Get his piece and we're gone." Kimiko looked at Mitsuru, who was breathing hard, scratches from her kunai on his face and arms. Mitsuru glared at her, watching as Kimiko bent down, scooping up the fallen shogi piece, sticking her tongue out at Mitsuru before she shot up through the hole in the floor. Arisu followed next, landing on the edge and glancing down. Kazuhiko walked under the hole, looking up before glancing back at Sayuri, who watched him with a furious glare.

"Get moving or I'll kill you, no matter how much power you have in that thing!" Sayuri barked angrily. Kazuhiko tilted his head back a little, averting his eyes toward her.

"Sorry. I was just thinking if you would taste better cooked or raw." He replied. Sayuri stiffened, her eyes widening slightly in surprise and confusion. Kazuhiko smiled lightly before he shot up through the hole, vanishing with his sisters.

"What did he say?" Mitsuru asked, hopping over the hole in the staircase, landing beside Uwasa, who was frowning at Sayuri.

"What's wrong?" Uwasa asked. Sayuri shuddered, then scowled at her teammates, putting her hands on her hips.

"Nothing. Mitsuru, you idiot! You should have grabbed the piece before she could and run off with it!" She snapped. Mitsuru blinked, then clenched his fists, glaring at her.

"Shut up! As if you did any better! At least I came out with scratches and not a broken finger!" He snarled. Sayuri winced as if just feeling the pain of the broken bone before she glared at Mitsuru. Uwasa sighed.

"Not now. Don't argue now. Look, we need to get to the barn across the board outside. Maybe we can get that piece back and more. We shouldn't waste our time bickering like little kids." He explained. Sayuri frowned and gave a little nod, holding her hand to her chest, gently cradling her busted finger. Mitsuru just huffed, his arms over his chest and his foot stomping childishly. Uwasa shook his head, then turned toward the window and shot out. Sayuri and Mitsuru followed close behind at his heels.

Not too far away, Nakusu had just pocketed a piece that Yuuma had discovered sitting amongst a jar of old, stale cookies. Yuriye scanned the abandoned apartment home silently, following behind her male teammates. Her light green eyes drifted before lifting up. She yelped in shock, jumping back before sucking in a deep breath to calm herself after smacking into Yuuma's back. Yuuma frowned and followed her gaze, blinking in surprise. A mannequin of a child was hanging by its neck in a closet near the sink, the lips of the doll twisted into a sinister smile.

"That is so creepy." Yuriye whimpered, covering her eyes and looking the other way. Nakusu glanced at it, frowning as he approached it.

"It is just a doll." He muttered and swung a kunai up, cutting the doll so it fell to the floor with a clatter, its flexible arms and legs bending in odd positions. Nakusu turned away from it, glancing out the front door of the room. Yuuma's eyes stayed locked on the doll, narrowed and suspicious.

Suddenly, the doll's jaw dropped open and a creepy, static cackle emitted from it. Nakusu whipped around, gasping. Yuuma took a jolting step back, wincing as his heart hammered in his chest and Yuriye grabbed onto his arm, crying out in horror.

The doll's laughter echoed throughout the household, turning more and more high-pitched. Yuuma's eyes flashed and he tore Yuriye back, grabbing the back of Nakusu's shirt. He tore back hard, all three of them stumbling and fell backwards as the laughter grew so high-pitched that they had to cover their ears before the doll's head exploded.

"Oh my gods! What was that?" Yuriye cried, sitting upright and onto her knees. Yuuma forced himself up, coughing a little and frowning at the scorched closet. Nakusu grimaced a little, wiping sweat from his face.

"The doll was rigged. I should have known. It means we are not the only ones within this apartment building." He muttered. Yuriye blinked, frowned a little, and scanned the apartment room before slowly getting to her feet. Yuuma heaved himself up, holding a hand out and helping Nakusu to his feet. Nakusu brushed himself off as Yuriye walked over to the front door, peering outside seeing as the room was on the ground floor. Yuuma walked to the closet, looking down at the doll to inspect it.

Yuriye's eyes drifted around outside before she saw someone moving around the side of the building at running speed. Her eyes widened and she quickly shut the door as quietly as she could, whipping around.

"Someone's coming!" She whispered. Yuuma grabbed Nakusu by the arm and jerked him into the closet, making him yelp a little. Yuriye darted after them, closing the door behind them after shoving the busted doll out. They crammed into the closet silently.

Just outside the closet, the front door burst open. Jiki barreled in, Miryoku and Kanwa stumbling in after him as they shut the door tightly.

"That was close," Kanwa panted, bending over, "That Mist village team is good and ughhh! So gross, that guy with the snake!" Jiki bit into his lip, trying not to squeal about how disgusting it was as well before he laughed a little.

"Oh, come on, it was just a snake… At least we got that shogi piece first. Two more and we're home free." He beamed. Miryoku frowned, glancing around the apartment room suspiciously. He saw the doll and made a face, looking back at Jiki, who was boosting about their winning streak. Kanwa just rolled her eyes.

Inside the closet, the only sound was Nakusu hyperventilating past Yuuma and Yuriye's hands over his mouth. Of course he'd be hyperventilating! Yuuma and Yuriye were scrunched into the closet with him and they were right against him! He could feel their body heat and their breathes on him. The feeling was unbearable as well as the cramped space.

Without meaning too, he felt a whine come up past their hands.

Miryoku's eyes flashed toward the closet, narrowing. Kanwa heard the same little whine come from the closet, her eyes glowing with suspicion. Jiki frowned and jerked his head toward the back of the room, unknowing that it specifically came from the closet.

Kanwa studied the state of the doll just outside the closet and could easily make out scuff marks from shoes across the scorched flooring. Miryoku took a step toward the closet, however, a knock on the door made all three of them jump.

"Knock, knock, Suna team! It's that Mist team you just abandoned!" Kangoku's taunting voice rang out. Jiki flinched and bolted for the window by one of the bedrooms. Kanwa raced after him after locking the door. Miryoku frowned, making a move for the window, but stopping to look back at the closet before he hopped out the window after his teammates.

The front door burst open into splinters scattered on the floor as Kangoku entered the room, Hachi coiled around his waist and around his arm, resting his head on the opposite shoulder. Asobu and Noroi stood behind him, frowning at his entrance.

"I could've sworn I heard them in here." Kangoku muttered, scanning the room before his eyes fell on the mess in front of the closet. He smirked and started to move, but Asobu grabbed the back of his beige vest, jerking hard.

"They're over there, Kangoku!" She hissed. Kangoku blinked, then whipped around out of the room, racing along side the building with his teammates at his side. Back in the apartment room, Yuuma threw open the closet door, stepping out and Yuriye rushing out quicker. Nakusu was panting, sliding down the back of the closet wall, his hand over his chest.

His heart pounded against his ribcage wildly, sweat trailing down his face as he tried to catch his breath.

"Sorry." Yuuma stated, glancing at him with a frown. Nakusu just shook his head, gripping the front of his shirt tightly before slamming his fist down into the floor, sucking in a sharp breath. Yuuma looked back toward the front door as Yuriye walked over to close it, both waiting for their teammate to calm down.

As soon as Yuriye closed the door, the dusty stained window a few feet down exploded, making Yuriye gasp and leap away into one of the kitchen counters. Yuuma jolted back, glaring at the busted window while Nakusu managed to get to his feet, stepping out of the closet.

The glass shattered loudly, making loud tinkling sounds as it hit the tiled flooring of the apartment room. Swinging through the busted window, Kimiko skidded across the tile flooring, kicking up glass before she came to a stop, her fingers dragging along the floor before she stood up slowly.

"Finally," She exclaimed, putting a hand on her hip, "I've been looking everywhere for you, Uchiha. I found one of your cousins, but he's not the one I want. I want you. I want _your_ Sharingan." Nakusu stiffened, glaring with his one visible eye.

Yuriye grimaced and glanced toward the window, just waiting for the other two members of the girl's team to jump in after her, however, no one else followed, making her extremely suspicious. Yuuma seemed to be thinking the same. Kimiko took quick notice and laughed.

"Don't worry. It's just us four. Big brother Kazuhiko is busy taking our second piece from that Konoha team with the weird bug guy. Arisu is waiting somewhere else for me to bring you, Uchiha, so I can have your eye." She explained simply, bouncing up and down on her toes excitedly. Nakusu frowned.

"Did I not tell you that you cannot have it? You are a spoiled brat and I would not give you my Sharingan, even if I wanted to give it away." He muttered. Kimiko blinked, then pouted.

"That makes me want to take it even more! That's why I hate boys! They're so mean and bossy! And selfish and dirty! Mama was right when she said girls were so much better!" She snapped angrily, then whipped out a kunai, bolting at Nakusu, who took a quick step back, but Yuuma shot out, swinging a kunai around to knock Kimiko's attack back.

Kimiko blinked, stumbling a little before glaring at Yuuma, puffing her cheeks out stubbornly.

"Jerk! You jerk! You're in my way!" She cried. Yuuma didn't bother to listen as he swung his kunai out at her again repeatedly, swiftly and sharply. Kimiko kept jerking out of the way just barely, smirking before she ducked under his next swing. She swiped out a kunai to slash at his ankles, but Yuuma easily leapt over them and flipped over her, swinging around and reaching up his sleeve, a click following before he flung a senbon at Kimiko, who's eyes widened. The senbon sliced across her cheek before it hit the wall across the room.

Kimiko winced before yelling out loud, clasping a hand onto her cheek.

"Ow, ow, ow! That stings! You jerk, you poisoned it!" She yelled angrily. Yuuma easily unhooked another senbon from his arm, making a move to fling it, but Kimiko smirked and swung the plushie from her waist up. The senbon pierced the fox plushie through the stomach and fell to the floor. Yuuma blinked and didn't move in time for Kimiko to swing her foot up into his jaw.

Yuriye's eyes flashed and she bolted forward, slamming into Kimiko and making her yelp, flying into a wall. Yuriye grimaced a little, rubbing her elbow before spinning around to help Yuuma to his feet. Kimiko glared at them.

"You're both meanies! How dare you get in my way!" She snarled and whipped around, making a hand sign. Yuriye moved at the same time, their water jutsu clashing together in a huge blanket of water. Nakusu flinched and stumbled back, water splashing up. Yuuma didn't escape the blanket of water, making him grimace and glare at Yuriye, who winced apologetically.

Kimiko burst through the wall of water, aiming at kunai at Yuriye's throat. Yuuma shot up, catching Kimiko's wrist. Kimiko yelped out loud as Yuuma swung her around over his hand and into the floor. Kimiko winced, then rolled over, making a grab for her plushie, but Yuriye kicked it across the floor.

"HEY! Don't kick Kyuubi, you brat!" She shouted and scrambled to her feet to grab the plushie, but Yuuma swung his arm around, slamming it into her stomach. Kimiko gasped, blood flying from her mouth before she winced, leaping back in front of the window. She held her arms over her stomach, squeezing her eyes shut.

"ARISU! I need help!" She screamed. Yuuma bolted at her again, but just in time for someone to come crashing through the floor, landing just in front of him. Yuuma's eyes widened as he jumped back, avoiding a smack with a green glowing hand. Arisu plunged out of the dust and rubble, aiming at Yuuma's head and stomach.

Yuuma ducked and dodged to the side, glaring before he went to grab a poisoned needle, but a rock came down from above, hitting his arm. Yuuma jerked his head up and just barely managed to move as a bed rolled over the edge of a hole above. The bed crashed into the floor, smashing apart.

Arisu looked up past her glasses angrily, clenching her fists.

"Kazuhiko, you asshole! I'm down here too!" She shouted. Kazuhiko peered over the edge into the hole with a flat stare.

"And your point…?" He drawled dully. Arisu glared, then jerked her head back at Yuuma, who lunged at her again. Arisu activated her jutsu and swung her arm around, slamming it into the side of Yuuma's head. Yuuma winced and flew back into a wall, but easily threw himself back up to his feet.

"Nakusu, take Yuriye and run!" He commanded. Nakusu blinked, mostly surprised that Yuuma decided to say a full sentence, rather than one-wording them. Yuriye frowned and spun around, racing forward and catching Nakusu by the waist. Nakusu yelped a little. Yuriye jerked on him and bolted right out the apartment room.

"Yuriye!" Nakusu gasped. Yuriye swung him around, shoving before slamming the door shut. Nakusu winced, stumbling a little, frowning.

"Yuriye-"

"Sorry, Nakusu," She apologized quietly, wincing as a loud crash sounded from inside, "But everyone knows you're not very physical… I mean, it's not a bad thing! Because you're super smart."

"And that is why you are protecting me." Nakusu muttered. Yuriye blinked, then smiled.

"No. I'm protecting you because you're my teammate and right now, Yuuma also needs my help." She added nervously, glancing toward the door and ready to pull it open. Nakusu took a step forward to assist Yuriye, but someone shot from inside, through the window, and slammed into Nakusu.

"Nakusu!" Yuriye cried in horror, whipping around. Kimiko had bolted out the window, slamming into Nakusu and causing them both to go flying, rolling across the ground. Nakusu gasped, wincing in pain, forcing himself to sit up. Kimiko scrambled to her feet, ignoring the blood that dripped from a cut in her forehead, pain roaring through her head.

She pulled out a kunai, panting. As Arisu was being occupied by Yuuma's attacks, she hadn't had the time to heal the scratch from the senbon on Kimiko's cheek. The hairline red cut was slowly turning a light greenish yellow around it, but Kimiko ignored the pain in her cheek as well. She was on her feet as soon as Nakusu had gotten into a sitting position.

She ran forward and slammed into Nakusu again, knocking him back down. He winced and struggled to shove her off. Kimiko laughed excitedly, catching one of Nakusu's wrists tightly in her fist.

"FINALLY! Your Sharingan is mine, Uchiha! With that, I can have two Kekkei Genkai AND have great ninja techniques that are all original!" She laughed. Nakusu swung one of his hands up to grab Kimiko and throw her off, but Kimiko slammed her kunai right into Nakusu's palm, pushing harder and ultimately pinning Nakusu's hand to the ground.

Pain ripped up Nakusu's arm and made him choke on a cry of pain. His back arched and he went to grab the kunai out automatically, but Kimiko easily shoved his other hand to the ground, taking out her last kunai and pinning his other hand. Nakusu screamed.

Yuuma heard it immediately after he dodged to the left. At first, he was confused to where it was coming from, but he heard Yuriye scream Nakusu's name afterwards. His eyes darkened and he glanced at Arisu, who was struggling to her feet. He took his final senbon, racing past her and slicing her in the arm before hopping out the window. His eyes widened as he saw Kimiko sitting on Nakusu, whose hands were pinned by kunai above his head.

"ARISU! ARISU! I GOT HIM! I GOT HIM! COME HERE!" Kimiko screeched joyously, laughing as Nakusu panted for air. Sweat trickled down his face, his face paling slightly. Arisu managed to hop out the window, holding her arm with a glowing green hand. Yuuma blinked, then cursed in his head at Arisu's medical skills.

Arisu started toward Kimiko and Nakusu. Yuuma took a step forward to go after her, but Kazuhiko seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of him and Yuriye.

"I don't think so." Kazuhiko stated firmly. Yuuma glared at him, his hands ready to move into a hand sign, but a wire lashed out from above, catching Yuuma around his arms and torso, pinning them and tearing him backwards. He gasped and winced as Yuriye's back slammed into his own. Yuriye cringed, finding herself in the same place as Yuuma. The clone before them vanished while the real Kazuhiko hopped off the rooftop.

Kazuhiko walked out in front of Yuuma and Yuriye, dragging the ends of the wire with him, setting them down and stepping on them.

"Don't take your time," He told his sisters with a sigh, "This is already wasting the time we could be using to find a board." Yuuma's eyes widened. Yuriye gasped.

"You already found three shogi pieces?" She cried. Kazuhiko glanced over his shoulder flatly.

"Of course. While Kimiko and Arisu hunted you guys down, they left me to beat up the others for shogi pieces…"

"Then why are you attacking us?" Yuriye demanded. Kazuhiko sighed, then gestured toward Kimiko, who glanced up with a vile smirk.

"I want Sharingan," Kimiko responded smartly, "You remember when I met you guys in town and I said I wanted it? Yes! I get anything I want, whenever I want it! You try and stop me and I'll squish you like a bug!" Arisu rolled her eyes, then got on her knees over Nakusu's head, reaching down. Nakusu watched her with wide eyes as she pulled off his headband, revealing the perfectly good eye underneath. Kimiko squealed with joy, clapping her hands.

"YAY! Sharingan, Sharingan!" She chanted.

"Leave him alone!" Yuriye yelled, jerking at the way. Kazuhiko sighed.

"Don't waste your time. As much as I hate to say it, Kimiko _does_ get whatever she wants, whenever she wants because she's a spoiled brat… That, and the wire that binds you has my chakra flowing around it, so it's impossible to rip… Sorry." He added, sounding almost genuinely sincere.

"Please, stop," Yuriye pleaded, "Why do you want Sharingan so badly?"

"Easy," Kimiko retorted, glaring at them, "Sharingan is pretty! The red is almost exactly the same color as blood, and I love blood! The marks in them are so beautiful! And Sharingan is also very strong! Very, very strong! And I hunted him down specially because of his daddy! His daddy is the legendary Uchiha Sasuke, said to have the most powerful Sharingan of all time! Even more powerful than Madara's! If I have Sasuke's son's Sharingan, I'll be unstoppable!" She nodded to Arisu, beaming.

"Take it!" She ordered. Arisu rolled her eyes, then gazed down at Nakusu, who was still struggling, only making the kunai rip through his hands deeper, making him gasp aloud.

"Sorry." She muttered and made a hand sign, an eerie green glow around her fingers as she reached down, taking out a scalpel to help her. Kimiko giggled maniacally, even making Kazuhiko frown. Arisu pulled the eyelids part, sinking the scalpel down. Nakusu immediately screamed.

"Stop!" Yuriye wailed, jerking at the wire desperately. Yuuma was slightly shocked, staring for a split second, then looked the other way. Kazuhiko did as well, but for a completely different reason, his eyes sailing upwards as he covered his nose with his hand.

Kimiko beamed down, watching as thick tears of blood ran down the side of Nakusu's face, making only a small pool beside his head. Arisu, having already made up a small jar in her weapons pouch of embalming fluid, held the eye in midair just above her fingertips and surrounded by the green aura before she took out the jar and dropped it in. She went for the bandages, but Kimiko smacked her hand, glaring.

"Don't heal him, stupid! Leave him there!" Kimiko snarled, then heaved herself up. Arisu frowned, glancing at Nakusu, who was gasping for air, his voice hoarse from screaming so long before she rose to her feet. She looked over at Kazuhiko, who still held his hand over his nose.

"That's sick." Arisu snapped at him. Kazuhiko shrugged.

"I can't help it." He answered. Kimiko snatched the jar from Arisu and yelled joyously.

"YES! It's mine! All mine! Sharingan is MINE!" She shrieked happily, hugging the jar and cuddling her cheek against it before she turned and shot off after tearing her kunai from Nakusu's hands, making him yell in pain. Arisu and Kazuhiko shared looks before shooting off.

"Pull." Yuuma commanded to Yuriye, who nodded. They both jerked at the wire, wincing and gritting their teeth, but didn't succeed in opening it. Yuriye cursed, then looked up at Nakusu, who had rolled over on his side, his hands clasping over his empty eye socket.

"Nakusu…" She managed, her eyes welling up slightly. Nakusu wailed, blood dribbling past his fingers and dripping to the ground, forming a small puddle. His head was aching with pain as well as his hands that were now pouring blood to the ground. Blood formed a thick pool under his face as he gasped and tried to catch his breath, pain ripping and roaring through his numbing arms and hands.

Nakusu gritted his teeth now, trying to calm down, but to no avail as he felt his body tensing up, exhaustion suddenly flowing over his numbing body. It didn't take more than a moment for him to slump into the puddle of blood, going still.

"Nakusu!" Yuriye cried, jerking at the wire harder. Yuuma winced a little, frowning.

"He's not dead…" He started quietly, but Yuriye cried out again.

"No! I don't care! Nakusu's hurt! I told him I was going to protect him, but I didn't! I lost focus and he got hurt! He's in pain! Yuuma, we have to do something! We have to help him! What if another team comes by and attacks us? We still have a shogi piece!" She protested. Yuuma frowned, averting his eyes for a moment as he thought fast.

_Both of us are useless as we're tied up with the wire enforced by that guy's chakra… What can rip through chakra? … Of course. Nakusu's brother could, but he's not here and that's not helpful in the least. Yuriye's right about the other teams eventually showing up. Someone has bound to have heard the commotion… We can only hope that Shisui heard it…_

_Or else we'll all die._

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**A/N: O:! Dramaaaaa! And longer chapter, yay! I was excited, but also a little distracted while writing this, so sorry for any mistakes or rushing in a scene. lol. Well, this is just the beginning of the second part of the Chuunin Exams. -cue dramatic music- O.o xD Well, thanks so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	8. Chapter 8

UUUUUPDATE! YES!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction, except for the ones that I have already claimed as my own. There are too many for me to repeat in every chapter. lol.

A/N: Third POV (I think I like this POV the best xD)

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**Chapter Eight: I'm Here, Brother. The True Meaning of Shinobi and Friend!**

Shisui sneezed, blinking as he rubbed his sleeve on his nose before doing a quick back flip, landing a few feet away. Riko skidded across the dirt, kicking it up, frowning.

"Shisui, this is dragging out too long. Even Haruhi's exhausted." She pointed out, huffing and puffing. Haruhi was breathing just as hard on Shisui's other side, his fists clenched and his Sharingan glowing.

"I'm fine." He lied sharply, reaching up to clasp a hand over his right eye. Slowly, the redness of Sharingan was fading from his eyes, which narrowed in annoyance as he gritted his teeth. Across from them, Lei slowly got into a casual standing position, his katana withdrawn and thrust toward the ground. Lei smiled, his eyes remaining forever closed.

"You've held out pretty long! I'm surprised! Most people would be flat on their faces." He pointed out. To his right, Zakuro stood with his arms folded, thousands of tiny black insects crawling around his feet and on his body, some scuttling from behind his square sunglasses. Yuko was on his other side, her arms folded and the flames that had engulfed her form were now withering away as the battle neared its final end.

"We're not pathetic," Shisui muttered flatly, putting a hand on his hip, "Quit messing around and just fall down already!"

"You're not gonna get rid of us that easily." Yuko stated confidently with a light smile, cocking her head. Zakuro brought a hand out, spreading his fingers as the insects swarmed over them.

"This is taking too long." He stated. Lei pushed his lips into a pout, swinging his sword up to block Zakuro.

"Don't do that! It's not fun that way. Let's just play a little bit longer. We still have four days not counting this one." He pointed out. Zakuro paused, his lips twisting into someone of an annoyed scowl. Yuko blinked, frowning at Lei.

"Lei, we're just here to take their piece, not slaughter them." She pointed out. Lei smirked.

"Oh, right. Of course… But you forget. That's the Konohagakure's way of battling and I am not from Konoha." He answered, then swung his sword out. Shisui narrowed his eyes, clenching his teeth, but kept his lips turned up into a smile.

"Bullshit. Konohagakure doesn't always settle for the prize." He replied, then glanced at Riko and Haruhi, who frowned at him.

"Shisui, we're exhausted-" Riko began, but Shisui cut her off by bolting forward, making her eyes widen. She glanced at Haruhi, who whipped out a kunai.

"He's going to need back up. Hold out a bit longer, Riko." He replied. Riko sighed and whipped out several shuriken on all her fingers, her arms crossed before she flung them out. Shisui according them ducked as they flew over his head and he dropped to the ground, skidding and aiming to kick Lei off his feet. Lei smirked and leapt into the air, doing an almost slow back flip before he swung himself into another flip through the air, dragging his blade across the dirt.

"Time for some real jutsu." He made a hand sign with one hand, landing on his feet, his blade jammed through the dirt. Zakuro darted to the side, nodding to Yuko, who followed suit. They leapt back as Lei released a huge jagged wall of flames from the blade and through the cut in the dirt that he had made. Shisui winced. Haruhi darted out and skidded in front of him, making hand signs in a flash, holding his hands in a round circle in front of his mouth, a spew of hot flames crashing into the wall.

Flames shot through the air, hurdling toward the ceiling of the dome high overhead, shrieking like an explosion. Yuko had easily swept inside the flames, as well as setting herself on fire, swinging herself through Haruhi's jutsu in an attempt to aim a flaming punch at Haruhi's nose. Haruhi took a jolting step back and Shisui jumped up, taking his chance to grab Yuko's hand, grabbing and swinging her around harshly.

Yuko gasped in pain, a snap emitting from her wrist. The flames around her body shrank away, hissing. Zakuro moved fast and shot forward, catching her easy before she could fly into a building's wall. He landed on the ground, grimacing at the heat that had remained in an aura around her.

Meanwhile, Shisui was gasping, shaking his hand and glancing at it. The skin was blistered red and almost looked like it was melting. Haruhi grimaced.

"Shisui-"

"This is getting tough," Shisui managed, glancing at Zakuro, who was helping Yuko stand and Lei, who just watched with a tilted head, "Forget their piece. There are other groups. Retreat."

"You can't run away now!" Lei complained. Shisui stuck his tongue out.

"Just try and stop us!" He retorted, then gave Haruhi a sharp shove, making him yelp a little. Riko blinked, looking at Shisui.

"Shisui, what're you doing?" She demanded. Shisui smiled.

"Go ahead. I'll catch up in a bit. I'll give them a distraction that won't forget," He answered, "Oh, and make sure you're in a safe area… I'm going to be using my favorite." He added, his bright blue eyes slowly turning red. Haruhi's eyes flickered before they narrowed. He knew exactly what Shisui was talking about and there was no way he wanted to be on the ground when that happened. Riko's eyes widened slightly.

"Shisui, if you hit too hard, you could collapse this whole dome!" She warned.

"That's why I said safe area! And if you see Mitsuru, tell him I said hi!" Shisui beamed, then gave both his teammates a little shove, careful not to use too much power behind the push before he whipped around. With his teammates gone, Shisui stood alone facing them with clenched fists, ignoring the pain in his burnt palm.

"All right! I'm going to end this quickly, so get ready!" He shouted. Lei tilted his head a little more, confused. Zakuro twitched and he grabbed Yuko's arm, making her yelp.

"Zakuro- Hey!" She protested, but Zakuro had her up and off the ground in an instant, looking at Lei.

"If you want to be a pancake, move!"

"Why?"

"Just do it!" Zakuro held Yuko and pushed off the ground, shooting into the air and onto a building. Yuko frowned, squirming a little before her eyes landed on Shisui. She made out a single, unfamiliar hand sign being made before Shisui reeled his fist back, wincing a little as if the force was hurting his swing. Lei straightened up just as Shisui's fist slammed into the ground.

Almost immediately, no dramatic pause afterwards, the ground trembled violently, almost knocking Yuko and Zakuro off the roof of the building. Lei dropped his sword, falling back. Cracks shot through the ground, zigzagging paths in all sorts of directions before rocks under pressure shot from inside and they started sliding apart.

"Yikes!" Lei yelped, flailing as a crack split apart beneath him. He swung around onto his belly and caught his sword by the handle, hopping to his feet gracefully before thrusting his sword into the holster on his back. He whipped around to see Shisui shoot from the ground, doing a flip to avoid a crack that backfired on him.

"Hey, Uchiha," Lei called, a hand cupped near his mouth, "Nice battling you! Let's do it again sometime, ne?"

"Whatever!" Shisui retorted and Lei laughed before he shot off. Zakuro and Yuko shared looks of distress before bolting after Lei, who vanished over the edge of a nearby roof. The house of said roof had split apart, the walls crumbling and the floors ripping. Old furniture and dolls tumbled inside the cracks before the earth stilled slowly. Shisui frowned a little, glancing at his fist, blowing the dust off before he stood up. He felt the Sharingan slowly fade from his eyes.

"I hate how that stupid thing always turns on when I try that." He muttered, reaching up to brush his hand over his eye. That's when he realized his hair was completely down and out of the hairclip. He blinked and looked around.

"What the hell? Where'd it go?" He whined and dropped to his knees, his eyes flickering across the ruined landscape. He bent down on his knees, his eyes flickering around when he heard someone land behind him. Instinct made him whip around, a kunai in hand.

"Shisui!" Riko cried in shock. Haruhi stood behind her, frowning at his cousin with his arms folded over his chest. Shisui blinked and lowered the kunai, eventually dropping it.

"Sorry, Riko. Just being a spazz. Have you seen my hairclip?" He asked curiously. Haruhi rolled his eyes.

"Shisui, this isn't the time to be worrying about hair accessories." He muttered. Shisui puffed his cheeks and pouted comically, folding his arms over his chest.

"We're not going anywhere until I find that hairclip! Aunt Ruriko is the one who gave it to me! That thing is, like, worth more than your house!" He insisted, stomping his foot and dropping his fists to his sides. Haruhi sweat dropped. Riko sighed, then beamed.

"All right, Shisui! But, uhm… You DO know that you practically sent an earthquake to the ends of the entire arena, right?" She asked, gesturing to the huge cracks in the earth, which had knocked over several of the homes. Shisui looked around, then back with a shrug, grinning.

"Good thing it's not a real village, right?"

"That's not the point." Haruhi deadpanned. Riko sighed, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Don't be so mean, Haruhi," She stated, waving a hand in Haruhi's face as she put a fist on her hip, "If your mom gave you one of her manga, would you feel bad about losing it?" Haruhi stared at her so flatly it was comical.

"No, I wouldn't. In fact, I would be glad to be rid of it." He responded dully.

"That's terrible!" Riko cried.

"Guys, we're getting off track." Shisui pointed out in a sing-song voice, wagging a finger at them before pouting. Haruhi just rolled his eyes, before he stopped to stare at something, then pointed.

"Your hairclip?" He suggested. Shisui blinked and whipped around, spotting the black hairclip on the ground. Its black comb-like jaws were parted open and clasped onto the side of a crack, slowly slipping and ready to fall into the dark depths. Shisui yelped and jumped, snatching it quickly as he hit the ground on his stomach.

"Thank the gods, I thought I lost you!" He cried to the inanimate object, cuddling his face against it before standing up. He twisted his hair and flipped it upwards, clasping the hairclip in place before letting go of his hair, the long blue locks falling in a fountain.

"That's so much better." Shisui sighed dramatically, as if it were a crisis. Haruhi rolled his eyes and Riko just laughed lightly. The moment was ruined by a very faint sound, but Shisui heard it perfectly. He jerked his head up, his eyes flashing.

"Did you hear that?" Haruhi asked, glancing around with a frown. Riko blinked and listened carefully, frowning.

"It sounded like a scream." She murmured. Shisui's eyes glowed.

"Something's wrong. Come on." He stated. Haruhi blinked, then frowned.

"We're going to follow it? How do we know it's not a trap or someone we don't know?" He demanded. Shisui glared at him.

"It doesn't matter. Let's go." He commanded and shot off. Riko and Haruhi shared looks before shooting after. The shudder from the earthquake had definitely jarred everyone within the arena, some having ducked for cover while others even stumbled through the cracks. There was hardly a soul outside, save for a certain squad.

Yuriye squirmed, gasping for breath. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, tensing her body again and trying to force the wire off. By now, she had deep red marks in her skin from trying so hard. Yuuma frowned at her. He had given up trying to rip the wires. He had felt the earthquake just as everyone else had and judging by how a house had fallen over nearby, Shisui was close.

What also unnerved him was the fact that Nakusu was still unconscious and lying several feet away in a pool of blood that was drying. The house that had fallen over and very luckily missed him.

"Yuriye." Yuuma stated suddenly, feeling the familiar presence of chakra moving toward them. The chakra was wavering at first, as if the owner was weak, but he could definitely make out Shisui's in the group. Yuriye kept struggling for a moment until Yuuma elbowed him. She looked up, frowning until she felt the presence as well, her eyes widening.

"SHISUI!" She yelled. Yuuma winced, as she had also shouted in his ear, but he didn't so much care as he waited to see if they were heard. Within moments, Yuuma could see Shisui moving fast toward them, Haruhi and Riko at his sides. Yuriye sighed with relief.

Shisui landed on the ground, his eyes widening. He didn't know what to say at first, but Riko and Haruhi spoke instead.

"What the hell happened?" Haruhi demanded.

"Some shinobi from Amegakure! They're taking the exams with us too, but one of them attacked Nakusu! I'm so sorry, Shisui." Yuriye added softly, cringing as Shisui finally blinked. Riko frowned.

"Shisui, go take care of your brother. We'll help Yuriye and Yuuma." She stated, earning a nod from Shisui. Haruhi paused, watching Shisui bolt over to Nakusu before he went to help Riko. Shisui skidded in the dirt before he got on his knees by Nakusu, hurriedly rolling him over.

"Nakusu? Nakusu? Wake up!" He cried worriedly, feeling his eyes prick with stinging tears. Nakusu didn't respond, his head flopping to the side limply, blood still slightly sticky on the right side of his face, dried around the closed, hole where his eye once sat.

Shisui bit into his lip, hard to stop himself from crying as he pulled Nakusu up into his lap, brushing the hair from his face, using his sleeve to wipe some of the blood away.

"Nakusu? Please stop playing around! Open your eyes already!" Shisui whined sadly, stroking Nakusu's cheek with his thumb. He tried not to let the growing panic in his chest explode into sobs or yelling. Fear was already overcoming him. Was Nakusu dead? What had happened?

"Yuriye! Yuuma! What happened?" Shisui called, not bothering to look over his shoulder in case he truly was crying.

"We don't know," Yuriye replied from her spot, wincing as Riko tried to cut the wire, "Those guys from Amegakure just showed up! The little one…"

"Kimiko." Yuuma offered. Yuriye nodded.

"Her. Kimiko. She kept ranting about how much she wanted Sharingan. She… She took out Nakusu's eye. They had him pinned down…" Her voice trailed. Shisui took a deep breath to control himself, frowning down at Nakusu.

_I'm not medical ninja, but that couldn't have possibly killed him… Just… Carving it out… Oh god, but… Why Nakusu? He was practically a prodigy. Sure, he couldn't fight at all and really preferred not to, he was so smart… Was? Was? IS! He's not dead! Ugh, I'm such a pessimist sometimes. I sound like my dad… Shit. Dad. If he finds out about Nakusu losing his eye- Goddamn it! I shouldn't be worrying about this!_ He thought angrily, then patted Nakusu's cheek gently.

"Nakusu? You need to wake up… It's me, Shisui. Come on, baby brother. Open your eyes…" He murmured. He waited a moment. Hope swelled inside him as Nakusu's left eye parted slightly, his eye rolling before centering to look at him tiredly.

"Shi… Shisui?" He mumbled. Shisui sighed and didn't bother waiting anymore, hugging Nakusu tightly.

"Don't ever do that again! You hear me? When I say wake up, you wake up! I thought you…" His voice trailed and he just shook his head, then pulled back to kiss Nakusu firmly on the forehead. Nakusu grimaced a little.

"Ugh… Embarrassment…" He managed tiredly, looking a bit dazed. Shisui smiled faintly. He stood up, leaving Nakusu to sit up. He helped roll bandages over Nakusu's hands tightly before putting a thick gauze pad over his eye, wrapping bandages over it and hiding it all with his headband. After that, it seemed that the only wound that he had really gotten was the ones in his hands.

"Ugh," Riko pouted, "This wire won't cut!" She cried angrily. Shisui looked up, then walked over, taking the wire in his hands, looking at it with a cocked eyebrow. Haruhi sighed.

"It's encoded with chakra. It's not going to break, no matter how much you saw at it." He told Riko, who glared at him comically.

"Shut up!" She snapped. Haruhi shrugged. Shisui smirked, then grasped the wire tightly in his fists. He pulled hard, tensing before the wire snapped. Haruhi blinked. Riko laughed.

"HA! I TOLD YOU IT'D BREAK!" She shouted triumphantly, thrusting a finger in Haruhi's face. Haruhi's eye twitched in annoyance. Yuriye was on her feet in an instant and almost forgot Nakusu's one-foot proximity limit as she rushed to him.

"Are you all right, Nakusu? I'm so, so sorry. I feel terrible! I'll make it up to you, I promise!" She cried worriedly, her hands clasped tightly in front of her and a shameful blush on her face. Nakusu looked at her, a light smile on his face and his expression still somewhat tired.

"It is fine, Yuriye… It is not your fault. I should have been paying more attention." He answered softly. Yuriye just felt herself blush even more before she nodded, still feeling as if it were her fault. Yuuma just frowned, saying nothing as he found no need, however, he glance at Shisui with slightly narrowed eyes.

Shisui was laughing at Yuriye's little act, still holding the broken wire in his hands, one of which was still badly burned and now numb.

_He tore the wire with his bare hands, one of them wounded… It's impressive. That wire was enforced with chakra… That was from raw strength alone when he snapped that wire, no hand signs, no chakra used at all. I'd known and heard that he was strong, but to be able to practically snap chakra in half?_ He thought and dug his nails into his arms, averting his eyes back to Nakusu, who was reaching up to run his fingers over his headband, over the bandaged empty eye socket.

_Taking his Sharingan was a bad move, mostly on Nakusu's part. Knowing his father and how strict he is, he's going to be angry with Nakusu for it… Kind of like my father._ Yuuma paused to look at the ground before lifting his eyes as Shisui sighed.

"Well," Shisui began, "Since you guys went through hell…" His voice trailed as he reached into his weapons pouch. Haruhi's eyes flashed and Riko blinked in surprise. Shisui held the shogi piece toward Yuuma, Nakusu, and Yuriye.

"Here, take it. With this, you guys should have two, right?" He asked with a sweet little smile. Yuuma's eyes widened slightly and Yuriye gasped. Nakusu frowned.

"What is this?" He asked. Shisui shrugged.

"Like I said. You guys went through more hell than we did on this first day. Besides, Haruhi, Riko, and I are tough enough to get more pieces, I'm sure of it." He replied.

"Shisui!" Haruhi protested, but Riko elbowed him in the ribs, giving him a cocky smirk.

"What's that for? Weren't you just boosting a while ago that you were perfectly capable of continuing on?" She teased. Haruhi sighed, reaching up to run a hand through his hair, frowning a bit in annoyance.

"That was me being cocky, I'll admit," He muttered bitterly, "But still. Three pieces in four days time? Have you seen how huge this arena is? It'll take days, if not weeks to find those small things."

"No," Nakusu said suddenly, looking at Shisui's team, "It will not. The pieces are not all of the same size… The one you have is the size of an average piece while we found one slightly bigger. The pieces are hidden in various places and there are more than enough for each squad in the exams to have three, but they are in different sizes, which would make more of the others weary of going after them."

"How big is yours?" Shisui questioned, Yuriye taking it out and revealing the cookie-sized piece, comparing it to Shisui's smaller piece.

"Do they all have to be the same size?" Riko asked, confused as she bent over to the study the pieces. Yuuma frowned and shook his head.

"No. The proctor mentioned nothing of the pieces being the same size, so long as you set them up correctly on the board, which means size is irrelevant." He explained. Everyone stared at him.

"Well, that's the first time I heard more than one word come outta your mouth." Shisui mused. Nakusu rolled his eye at his brother, then nodded.

"Yuuma is correct. However, what the real issue here is who gets what piece." He stated.

"What'd you mean? I'm handing you the piece right now." Shisui insisted. Nakusu frowned.

"Shisui, I understand what your point is in doing this, but we cannot accept the piece." He answered. Shisui raised an eyebrow. Yuuma frowned. He slightly agreed with Nakusu, but on the other hand, in the ninja world, when an opportunity was handed to you, you were to accept it gracefully. Yuriye just stared at Nakusu in disbelief. Why NOT take the piece? If this was another of those boy honor things, she was shocked into silence.

"Nakusu, you guys worked your asses off and you lost your eye over this," Shisui explained firmly, making Nakusu visibly flinch, "You guys deserve one break. It's not like I'm saying, oh, and when we find another piece, we'll hand it to you. Believe me, if we run into each other after this, I won't hesitate to attack you for your pieces. This is a one time opportunity and if I were you, I'd take it." Nakusu's eye narrowed in aggravation, his body tense. Yuriye grimaced. Yuuma glanced from Nakusu to Shisui, back again, then looked at Shisui and reached out, taking the piece.

Shisui smiled. Nakusu glared at Yuuma, but he was ignored as Yuuma pocketed the piece, looking at Shisui, who nodded before looking at his teammates. Riko beamed and Haruhi sighed in exasperation before the three shot off. Nakusu started to chide Yuuma for accepting, but Yuuma held up a hand, then pointed at his missing eye.

"If you return home, Sharingan gone, Genin title intact, your father will be disappointed. Return with Sharingan gone, Chuunin title awarded, you are less likely to receive scorn." Yuuma informed him curtly. Nakusu blinked and looked completely defeated, and hating it. Yuriye frowned.

"Yuuma's right, Nakusu. We all know how your dad can be. I mean, he's Uchiha Sasuke. He's all about winning and not losing. The fact that one of your Sharingan is gone is already going to make him upset, but the fact that you're Chuunin will make him proud. If we have two pieces, we have one more to go. We can't waste time hanging around here and talking about it." She added. Nakusu paused for a second. Yuuma and Yuriye could both see the hesitation, and surprisingly, anger that was easily read on Nakusu's face before he shook his head.

"Yuriye is right. Let us go."

**DAY TWO**

"HEE HEE! I am so happy!" Kimiko squealed, patting the bandages over her right eye, her eye patch gone now as she waited for the healing process. Arisu wrapped the bandages back up and placed them into her weapons pouch. She frowned the entire time, her fists clenched. Kazuhiko, who sat on the wall of the horse stall in the barn, frowned slowly, his eyes drifting toward Arisu.

"You regret it." He stated without looking at her, his arms resting on his knees. Arisu lifted her eyes slowly behind her glasses, narrowing them dangerously.

"You have nerve to suggest that, brother. He's an Uchiha. He's an enemy to our clan and our leader." She warned in a low voice. However, Kazuhiko didn't care how threatening his younger sister sounded as he leaned his head back on a post.

"Enemy. Why are they our enemies? Everyone is an enemy to you." He muttered. Arisu scowled as she rose to her feet, putting her hands on her hips and looking up at her brother.

"You're not seriously going to back out. Are you suicidal? If these exams don't kill you, if I don't kill you, Nozomu will." She threatened. Kazuhiko lolled his head to the side to stare at his sister flatly.

"Kill me then." He challenged. Arisu's eyes glowed, gold and pale pink together behind dark purple square glasses. The expression on her brother's face was pure exhaustion, fatigue, unwillingness. She clenched her fists.

"Why are you giving up so easily? As soon as we finish these worthless exams, Master Nozomu will take over this pathetic village! He'll move on and be so much greater than Lord Kotaro ever was! You won't have to worry about being pushed around!" She barked. Kazuhiko lolled his head back, staring out the open barn doors at the mannequin livestock placed in the doorway, just outside in the field and several inside the barn.

"And then?" He asked. Arisu blinked angrily, frowning.

"What do you mean 'and then'?" She demanded in annoyance, folding her arms tightly. She was getting chills. She'd never felt so cold, so uncomfortable around Kazuhiko before and his faint, bitter smile wasn't helping. He raised a finger and pointed toward the mannequins.

"Pretend those are the nations, the people in this world. Nozomu conquers this village here, the horse." He said and snapped his fingers, making a hand sign with the other. Lightening burst forth in a white jagged line, striking the mannequin.

_KUH-CRACK!_

The horse exploded, bits of wood and paint flying. Arisu flinched. Kimiko yelped, now alerted to the conversation between her elder siblings. She stared at Kazuhiko, who leaned forward.

"The cat is Kirigakure."

_KUH-CRACK!_

"The dog is Konohagakure."

_KUH-CRACK!_

"The pig is Kumogakure."

_KUH-CRACK!_

"The cow… Is our land. The Land of Rivers. The place under control by Master Nozomu."

_KUH-CRACK!_

The bits of all the animal dolls were scattered, the sisters staring at them in horror before looking at their brother. Kazuhiko lowered his hand, clasping them together in front of his knees, his expression dull and tired again.

"Doesn't matter how many people you kill, how many villages you conquer. We're basically all the same. Two eyes, two ears, a mouth, a nose, two arms and two legs. Powerful and weak, tired and hungry. This is stupid. We're destroying ourselves and it's a waste of time." He sighed, leaning back again, closing his eyes.

"Bigger than his father… Che. Don't make me laugh… Nozomu is going to fall eventually. Sure, he'll probably have the whole world in the palm of his hand, but in the end, he's going to die. Someone's going to step on him and squish him… Just like the rest of…" His voice drifted as he fell asleep. Arisu stared at him. A shiver went up her spine. Kimiko frowned and tugged on Arisu's arm.

"Arisu, big sister, Kazuhiko's lying, right? We're not gonna die. Master Nozomu won't die either. Nor will Lady Tomoko. Or mommy and daddy. Because Master Nozomu is super powerful and won't let that happen. So long as we listen to him, right?" She asked.

"… Right," Arisu murmured, looking away from her brother, then to her sister sternly, "Come on, now. It's late. At least four in the morning. Lie down and sleep. You still need to rest your head. The surgery's going to make you a bit weak for several hours, possibly a couple days." Kimiko beamed and giggled, hugging her plushie to her chest.

"Heeee~! I knew it! Kazuhiko's just grouchy because he didn't get enough sleep!" She decided, then skipped over to one of the beds that they had set up in a stall. Arisu followed, climbing into the bed beside her sister. She waited, listening and staring up at the ceiling.

_Kazuhiko… I didn't know he thought of those things… Ugh, why would he even think of that? Is the only reason he's doing all this just so he can die? He's so weak… Kazuhiko…_

Several houses away, out of the farm area of the dome and more into the town, Mitsuru was lying on a bed, sprawled out comfortably with a sigh. Sayuri, in the next room over, rolled over in bed, frowning into her pillow in discomfort. There was no way she could sleep in that creepy room… There was a mannequin standing in front of the window! She covered her head with the pillow. Outside the room, Uwasa sat between the two doors, his knees to his chest. He yawned sleepily, rubbing his eye and looking at the staircase down the hall to make sure no one intruded.

An eerie, unsettling silence came over the night. No sounds of battle.

Nothing.

Utter silence.

_Csreeek._

Uwasa jerked his head up, frowning down the hallway. He rose to his feet silently, making a hand sign before his Byakugan was activated, allowing him to view up ahead. He saw nothing for a moment, then a movement caught his eye, making him lower his sights. Someone was moving around outside. Uwasa narrowed his eyes.

Mitsuru was fast asleep, cuddled up to the pillow and mumbling incoherently in his sleep, a little dribble of drool down his cheek as the blankets mostly hid his body from sight.

In the next room, Sayuri sighed lightly, finally trying to relax comfortably. Despite this, she couldn't stop the feeling of the hairs on the back of her neck standing up and prickling. She frowned, closing her eyes tightly. She groaned and rolled over, staring up at the ceiling with a frown of annoyance. She had tossed the blankets off the side of the bed. She threw herself into a sitting position, throwing her legs over the side of the bed. She went to grab the blanket, then paused. She saw movement out the corner of her eye.

She swung a kunai up, on her feet in an instant. She looked up to see one of the street lights outside cast a light threw the window to reveal the mannequin by the window, a Jounin with dark straight hair and gouged out eyes stood with Sayuri's kunai in his throat.

Sayuri grimaced and stepped forward, jerking the kunai out and stepping back. She turned away, pocketing the kunai. As soon as she did, hands grabbed her from behind. She opened her mouth to cry out, but a hand clamped over her mouth and she was torn backwards.

Uwasa saw it first, the movement behind him while using his Kekkei Genkai.

"Shit! Mitsuru! Wake up!" He shouted, quickly taking out a kunai and whipping around to kick the attacker from behind. Despite the darkness of the home, Uwasa could make out that it was a female attacking him. Her eyes were dark, shadowed in the dimness of the hallway and her light tanned skin seemed darker. Her hair was bright blonde, two spikes curving inwards on her face while the rest was held back in a low ponytail.

She dressed in a maroon dress, off the shoulder and to her thighs with slits to show black shorts, the sleeves ending at her wrists, some continuing to her middle fingers and a fishnet vest underneath while her Kumogakure headband was around her waist.

She was fast, Uwasa realized with narrowed eyes as he hurried to dodge each attack she aimed at his vital spots. She whipped around in one swift and very graceful movement, slapping Uwasa hard in the face before flinging her leg up and kicking him hard in the jaw. Uwasa winced and flew into the wall, stumbling a little. As soon as he did, Mitsuru was out of his room, his eyes wide before he made a hand sign, letting fire blast down the hall toward their attacker. She easily flipped and skidded, ducking low with her legs in a split before she popped back up as the fire passed.

"Whoa," Mitsuru managed, "She's really good." Uwasa grimaced, getting to his feet.

"Forget that! Go help Sayuri! Someone attacked her!"

"What?"

"JUST GO!" Uwasa ordered. Mitsuru nodded and slipped behind Uwasa, who glared at his attacker, now easier seen as the flames now provided a good amount of light.

"Who are you?" Uwasa demanded, taking a familiar Hyuuga stance. The girl narrowed her eyes, but her stance still remained graceful and swift, very flexible.

"My name is Nakuza Isaye and it's the last name you'll ever hear." She responded confidently, then whipped her foot around to kick, but Uwasa ducked and aimed at her gut, but she smacked his hand away, slamming her head forward. Uwasa winced and stumbled back, but was back on balance, aiming for vital points, only to be blocked.

Meanwhile, Mitsuru raced into Sayuri's room, blinking in surprise. Something was wrong. A mangled Jounin mannequin stood by the window and the blankets on the bed were strew, but Sayuri nor her attacker were anywhere to be seen. Mitsuru's eyes widened in horror and he shot out the window, the force of it making his hair blow over his shoulder as he hung out the window sill before he heard something crash on the rooftop. He flipped up and landed on the edge, turning to see Sayuri bolting out of the way lightening attack that had traveled through an extended katana.

Across from her was her attacker, a vibrant yellow eyed teenager with bleach blonde hair to his shoulders, pushed back by his headband. His skin was tanned. He wore thick, sleeveless black gloves to his halfway to his lower right arm, the other ending to his left wrist while the backs sported metal plates revealing the Kumo symbol. He also wore a sleeveless black zipper with a thick collar, gold trims, and black shorts that neared his ankles with black sandals. Bandages hide his neck from view.

"Sayuri!" Mitsuru exclaimed. Sayuri jerked her head up, glaring at first.

"Mitsuru! Look out, there's two-" She was cut off as a kunai shot down between them, a tag billowing in the window. Her eyes widened.

"MOVE!" She shouted. Mitsuru leapt back, doing a flip and landing on a rooftop across from the house. He skidded slightly, wincing at the hot gust of air from the explosion.

"Fucking luck move, punk!" A voice laughed out loud. Mitsuru jerked his head up as a figure leapt off a nearby water tower, landing where the paper bomb was only moments ago.

His skin was pale, easily seen in the dimness of the street lights, his amber eyes glowing eerily. His shaggy brown hair touched just under his ears. He wore a dark gray long-sleeved zipper that ended to his wrists with rips in the arms, similar to tiger stripes and three large ones in the back. A fishnet shirt could be seen beneath it, his pants pretty much the same, loose and dark gray with the rips. He wore black sandals with his headband around his waist, a katana sheathed on his back while a large weapons holster hung from the headband around his waist.

"Hmph, nice pick, Huyu," He snickered at the other boy, who glanced up with a frown, "This one jumps around like a fucking frog! Haha, let's see you jump again!" The guy laughed out loud. Mitsuru's eyes flashed as the boy flung several shuriken in his direction. He dodged to the side to miss one, ducking two before one stuck him right in the shoulder, making him gasp. He winced.

"MITSURU! WATCH IT!" Sayuri yelled at the top of her lungs, thrusting a finger at the shuriken before dodging a slash with Huyu's katana. Mitsuru blinked and tore the shuriken out in time to see a paper bomb flutter off it. His eyes widened and he threw it quickly. It exploded in mid-air. Mitsuru ducked back, but just in time for the psycho Genin to slam his fist into his jaw.

Mitsuru went flying, skidding across the roof and knocking up tiles before he slammed into a small hut on top of a roof. He gasped in pain, blood flying from his mouth. He grimaced, struggling to get to his hands and knees again. He jerked his head up as his attacker started toward him slowly, almost tauntingly with a smirk on his face.

"Tch! Come on, fucking punk, where the fuck is all that jumping you did earlier, huh? Or was that just the beginning of your fucking stupid act? Come on! Fucking entertain me or I'll slaughter you like a fucking pig!" He barked.

"Aoi," Huyu's voice rose, but it seemed quiet as he knocked back another of Sayuri's useless kunai attacks, "Don't fool about. Find the piece and we're leaving."

"Oh, fuck off, Huyu! I'm going to enjoy myself, if you don't mind, you asshole! Tch, annoying son of a bitch." Aoi snorted, turning to face Mitsuru again with a wide, predatory grin. Mitsuru gritted his teeth and scrambled to his feet, this time moving faster. Aoi's eyes flashed with excitement as Mitsuru whipped out a kunai to aim at him.

Mitsuru slashed, but Aoi had whipped out his kunai in a flash to block. Mitsuru glared at him as Aoi just grinned at him tauntingly before he swung his fist forward, slamming it into Mitsuru's gut. Mitsuru gasped and went to crumple to his knees, as he felt a rib break in there somewhere, but Aoi caught him by the throat and hoisted him off his feet. Aoi laughed out loud.

"Forget it, if you're going to fucking play around, then I'll fucking play around with your mangled little corpse, ya little fucker!" He barked out and clenched his fist around Mitsuru's neck. Mitsuru gasped, trying to suck air into his lungs, but nothing was getting in. He felt like his throat was going to be crushed.

Sayuri, who had managed to block one of Huyu's attacks, looked up, gasping. She gritted her teeth and made a move to go help, but Huyu easily darted out in front of her, swinging his katana out. Sayuri winced as the tip of the blade cut across her face and over her nose.

She leapt back, holding a hand over her face. She took her chance and swung her foot out, kicking Huyu across the face. He winced, but swung his hand around, smacking Sayuri hard in the jaw, sending her slamming into the ground. She swung herself around, aiming to kick Huyu in the legs to knock him over, but he jumped over her legs and swung his katana up.

Sayuri's eyes flashed and she narrowed her eyes, rolling out of the way and flipping to her feet, swinging her leg around and kicking Huyu in the back. He stumbled, wincing. Sayuri whipped around in time to see Mitsuru's eyelids flutter, coming close to shutting for good. She started forward.

"Mitsuru!" She screamed, but stopped in mid step, her eyes widening as blood splattered to the ground. She stopped, stumbling a little before holding absolutely still. Mitsuru's eyes widened in horror, ignoring the fact that he was lacking air as he watched Huyu's katana splice right through Sayuri's stomach. The blade stuck right through her stomach, soaked in dark red blood that splashed to the ground in a thick puddle. Sayuri grimaced, coughed a little, blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth.

"S-S-S…" Mitsuru tried to speak, but Aoi squeezed his throat tighter and went to throw him, but Mitsuru grabbed his wrist quickly. He cut his nails into Aoi's wrists, making the teenager howl and ripped his nails through Mitsuru's throat in the process of jerking away.

Mitsuru gasped and landed on his feet, stumbling back as he grasped his bloody throat before his eyes sharpened in hatred. He gritted his teeth, then lunged forward, biting down on Aoi's arm. Aoi's eyes widened, but so did his angry grin. He swung his arm, trying to tear Mitsuru off his arm, but to his surprise, Mitsuru still hung on.

Mitsuru bit down harder and harder, making Aoi's face twist in annoyance and pain as he tried to rip Mitsuru off his arm. He grabbed a handful of Mitsuru's hair and jerked hard. Mitsuru didn't gasp, just squeezed his eyes shut in pain. Aoi finally managed to rip Mitsuru off his arm, who also took a chunk of flesh with him. Mitsuru easily ate the flesh, reaching up to shove the rest of it into his mouth. Aoi sneered at him and swung his katana at him.

Mitsuru ducked, glancing over in time to see Huyu jerk the katana from Sayuri's stomach. He easily knocked Aoi's feet out of from under him, racing in Sayuri's direction, all the while jumping from side to side in case Aoi made a move for him in the same fashion Huyu did Sayuri.

Huyu looked up, his eyes narrowing as he swung his bloodied katana around. Mitsuru easily ducked it by bending back before his hands clapped to the rooftop and he brought his bottom half up. He kicked Huyu hard in the hand, making him wince and drop the katana. Mitsuru swung himself around on the ground and managed to catch a good bite of Huyu's ankle, making Huyu bark out a curse before he went to kick Mitsuru in the head.

Mitsuru released his ankle, taking a good bite out of him before he skidded across the ground. He caught Sayuri up in his arms, wincing as Sayuri was not only two years older than him, but also taller. He took a deep breath and leapt off the edge of the roof, thrusting a hand up into the air as he jumped, making a hand sign.

"Lightening Style Technique: Thunder Storm!" He concentrated hard into using the lightening style, sending bolts of electricity exploding from his fingertips, burning them in the process while forming a dark cloud overhead. He followed it with another hand sign, setting a heavy genjutsu before he hit the ground, unprepared.

Sayuri hit the ground as well, gasping and wincing slightly before she clasped a hand over her gut, having landed mostly on her front, somewhat on her right side. Blood had splattered around her still, Mitsuru slamming into the ground beside her, his head hitting the ground with an audible _crack_! Sayuri grimaced.

"Mitsuru…" She tried. Mitsuru was out in an instant, or in a daze as it seemed. His eyes hung slightly closed, his breath coming out shallow and slow. His head was aching, throbbing and numbing pain spread throughout him as he struggled to move.

"Aah… Sss… Saaayuriii…" He managed in a quiet mumble.

"Don't… Die… Stupid…" Sayuri growled at him, removing her bloody hand to grab Mitsuru by a handful of his hair, jerking hard. Mitsuru gasped, tears springing to his eyes at all the pain racking in his head and busted ribs.

"Ah, ow!"

"I said…! Don't die, damn it…!" Sayuri shouted at him and shoved him hard. Mitsuru flinched and seemed to slowly be coming out of his dazed stupor, getting to his hands and knees. Sayuri sucked in a sharp breath before coughing up some blood. Mitsuru looked at her painfully.

"Sayuri, you stay alive too…"

"I know…! I know that! Ugh, this hurts… Where're those guys?" Sayuri mumbled, rolling onto her back to stare upwards. Mitsuru looked up, seeing lightening thundering above and some white flashes, his eyes narrowing slightly, squinting.

"I… Don't know? Something's wrong…" He murmured and looked back down at Sayuri, who coughed again, gasping for air before she regained her breathing. Her dark eyes searched the sky above, the edge of the roof and seeing nothing.

"Mitsuru…"

"We need to find Uwasa… He'll know what to do-"

"Mitsuru, move it already!" Sayuri shouted. Mitsuru jerked his head up in time to see Huyu dropping down at them, his katana in hand and his eyes narrowed angrily. Mitsuru grabbed Sayuri up, despite the screaming agony in his torso and managed to bolt out of the way as Huyu slammed into the ground, cracking it inwards a bit.

He raced past the dust, aiming his katana at Mitsuru's back. Mitsuru swung around, gasping as he saw Huyu's blade aiming for his face.

In a flash, a hand shot out and grabbed the blade with a pale hand. Huyu blinked as he skidded to a stop. Mitsuru's eyes widened.

"Uwasa!" He cried. Uwasa panted harshly, blood dripping down the corner of his mouth as he threw Huyu's attack away. He stepped in front of Mitsuru, taking a famous Hyuuga stance.

"Stay away from them." He commanded. Huyu's eyes turned to angry slit as he went to slash, but Uwasa moved back, slamming into Mitsuru, who in turn yelped in unison with Sayuri.

"Get back! Now!" Uwasa barked.

"But-"

"NOW!" Uwasa all, but screamed at him, then swung his foot around to kick Huyu in the face, succeeding as Huyu flew back and slammed into the side of the house. Two windows above where Huyu had crashed, Isaye busted through a window, blood streaming from her mouth and red dots appearing on the surface of her skin, but faintly.

She landed to the ground gracefully, running at Uwasa again as he dodged to the side, bringing his knee up. Isaye threw her head back to get out of the way, then flipped across the dirt, kicking some up before she did the splits. Uwasa darted forward and aimed a hit at her face, but she threw her head back again before popping back up and flinging her foot into Uwasa's gut. Blood flew from Uwasa's mouth as he gasped aloud, but he didn't stop to blink in disbelief, immediately swinging his hand around, ultimately back handing her across the face.

Isaye blinked in shock while at the same time, jumping back before rushing forward. This time, she faked a move at Uwasa's throat and aimed for his left side. She hit it spot on, making Uwasa yell in pain, but he still didn't stop.

"You're pretty desperate to save your pathetic teammates," Isaye muttered as they shared sharp, quick, and graceful blows, "It's a waste of effort if they can't even defend themselves."

"Shut up," Uwasa seethed past clenched teeth, wincing each time he failed to block a hit, "You can beat me as long as you like, but if you touch them, I'll murder you!""What's it matter anyway? They're on the verge of death anyway," Isaye snapped as she dodged to the side, "Stabbed in the stomach, busted ribs and a cracked skull, they're less than worthless. Just give up your piece."

"No," Uwasa threw back in her face, quite literally as he slammed her forehead into hers, making her gasp out loud, "They're my teammates and I won't let them die! No matter how much of a spoiled brat Sayuri can be! No matter how much of a crybaby Mitsuru is!"

"Tch!" Isaye spat and went to hit him in the face, but Uwasa caught her hand tightly in his grip, making her stare at him with wide eyes in realization. Uwasa was breathing hard, blood streaming from his wounds, down his chin, his purple and white outfit practically stained with deep red.

"I won't fail these exams." He stated firmly and swung his hand forward, reaching into Isaye's weapons holster, taking out two good pieces. Isaye's eyes shot open wider in horror and she went to grab at them with her other hand, but Uwasa popped them into his mouth, keeping his lips shut before he swung her arm around behind her back. He shoved her hard and stepped back, making a hand sign, his Byakugan coming back stronger.

"Eight Trigrams! Sixty-Four Palms!" He shouted and swung forward, jamming the tips of his fingers into every pressure point he could get. Isaye stumbled each time and gasped before Uwasa delivered the final blow, causing her to skid across the dirt and roll to a stop, several feet where the house was dented inwards.

He panted hard for air, his lungs burning and his throat aching. His head was throbbing and the blood was rushing through his ears like crazy. He could hear his own heart pounding loudly, echoing even.

The worst happened.

Mitsuru, who had been standing near a building across the street, breathing hard with Sayuri still in his arms, still conscious and watching the battle. His eyes widened.

"Oh no." He managed. Sayuri frowned and followed his gaze, her face draining of any color it had left.

"Uwa… UWASA!" She tried, but even her loudest had become hoarse. On the roof of the building where they had stayed previously, Aoi had managed to get to his feet, making a single hand sign with a dirty smirk spread across his face.

"See ya later, fucking brats… Earth Style! Needles of Death!"

Everything seemed to happen in an instant. A long, pointed cone of rock shot from the ground and sprang forward, piercing Uwasa powerfully through his back and jutted from his chest, blood exploding like a fireworks display of pure red. Uwasa froze, his eyes wide, blood leaking down the sides of his mouth slowly now.

"NOOOO!" Mitsuru screamed. Sayuri froze, unable to speak as horror coursed through her body. They could only watch as the needle remained jutting from Uwasa's chest, the organs inside completely drilled. Aoi managed to hop off the roof, Huyu stumbling out of the side of the house. Huyu frowned, grabbing up Isaye. Without anything else being said, the Kumogakure team shot off into the darkness. The only lights came from the faintly flickering streets lights.

"Uwasa!" Mitsuru cried and raced forward. Sayuri could feel the terror running through Mitsuru's body as he ran with her. She could hear the sound of his busted ribs grinding and crunching, ripping tissue as they approached the scene.

"Uwasa…." Mitsuru didn't know what else to say. Sayuri didn't either. Mitsuru was already crying, the tears trailing down his face and smearing the dirt and blood. Uwasa's whitish-lilac eyes were dim and shadowy now, his body struggling to stay working.

"Ow…" He managed.

"Uwa-Uwasa-"

"T-Ta… Take…" Uwasa choked, blood bubbling up his throat and down the sides of his face. Mitsuru didn't understand, but Sayuri sure did. She saw the shogi pieces in Uwasa's trembling clenched fists. She managed to reach out, gasping quietly as she took them in her fist. Uwasa sighed a little, shuddering.

"S-Sorry… Y-You're… Gonna have ta… p-pass… A…" He smiled lightly, but it slowly faded as he his body went limp.

"No!"

"Mitsuru, stop," Sayuri cried, feeling her own eyes sting with tears, "Don't do that!"

"Uwasa, don't die! Please, don't die! It's not fair!"

"Mitsuru!"

"It's not fair! It's not fair! Sayuri…!"

"Mitsuru!" Sayuri cried out again, this time because Mitsuru collapsed to his knees, exhaustion sweeping over him heavily as well as the heart jerking sensation of realization. Sayuri squeezed her eyes shut tightly, gritting her teeth, ignoring the feel of Mitsuru's tears falling on her as she came to the cold hard realization herself.

Uwasa was dead.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: D: The last scene made me sad. TxT I don't know what else to say about this chapter. Arrgh. -face/palm- But, thank you so much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are the best ever!**


	9. Chapter 9

**UUUUUPDATE! OMG UPDATE! -dance-**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, except for the ones that I already claimed as my own!**

**A/N: Third POV!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Nine: **It's Mourning. When the Bodies Rise!**

The dome was as dimly lit in the morning as it was at night, except for a few street lights that seemed to be turning back on. The reeking stench of blood was everywhere and was beginning to sting Mitsuru's nose as he lay on his side, his body aching with agony.

Sayuri lay beside him, sleeping quietly. She was holding out rather well for having been speared through the stomach. Mitsuru grimaced and managed to roll over, sitting up carefully, gasping softly every so often as the bones in his torso groaned. They had fallen asleep just a separate house, hiding in a room that they barely managed to board up.

Lying across the room under a tarp, Uwasa's body sat in the cool darkness. Mitsuru glanced over, then looked away quickly. His heart was throbbing along with the pain that rippled through his body. They had to find a medical ninja and fast… One that would hopefully help them.

"Sayuri," Mitsuru murmured sleepily, rubbing his eye with one hand while nudging Sayuri with the other, "Wake up… Come on, we have to get up…" Sayuri moaned faintly and turned her head the other way, smacking Mitsuru's hand. Mitsuru rolled his eyes and nudged her again, but gently still.

"Sayuri, if we stay here, we won't be able to pass… If we don't pass, Uwasa would have died for nothing…" He murmured softly. Sayuri's eyes slowly opened, looking sad, fatigued, and exhausted still despite the sleep.

"Sorry… I shouldn't slack off…"

"It's okay. I understand… Here, I'll let you get up." Mitsuru said quietly and rose to his feet, biting his sharp canine into his lip, drawing blood. Pain ripped up his achy body, but he forced himself to stay standing, holding a hand out. Sayuri took his hand. Mitsuru helped her stand, both their stances very wobbly and off balance.

"And… Uwasa?" Sayuri asked softly, looking over at the tarp. Mitsuru looked over, then back, down toward the floor.

"I'll carry him… We're not leaving him behind." He answered. Sayuri scowled lightly, folding her arms best she could while wincing a bit.

"No way… You carried me all last night and all the way here and I know you can't carry people good."

"It's not my fault!"

"Oh, don't start crying again, you baby!"

"I'm not a baby! You're such a-"

"Mitsuru," Sayuri cut in flatly, sighing, "Let's stop."

"Huh?"

"We shouldn't argue like this… It's one of the thing that pissed Uwasa off more than my bragging and your crying."

"… Yea. I guess so."

"Look, I'll carry Uwasa as far as I can. If I can't anymore… We're going to have to leave him behind."

"What?"

"I know! I know," Sayuri said calmly now, gesturing with her hands to calm Mitsuru, "I don't want to do it either, but we can't keep lugging around the extra weight when neither of us are in good shape, but I promise you that once this part of the exam is over, we'll come back and get him. I swear it. I also swear that we'll pass these exams, not just so we can be Chuunin anymore. For Uwasa." She thrust her fist out, her expression firm and confident. Mitsuru blinked, then nodded.

"… Right. For Uwasa." He agreed and bumped his fist against Sayuri's. They both nodded and got to work. Sayuri hoisted Uwasa onto her back, grimacing at the pain rolling through her like heavy waves from her pierced gut, but she gritted her teeth against it. Mitsuru took the pieces in his palm, frowning.

"People are going to be really desperate to get their hands on these."

"Just hide them somewhere where nobody will find them."

"…" Mitsuru frowned at the pieces, then thought back to the battles Uwasa had fought, his expression sad again. He averted his eyes, frowning, however. _Hide them somewhere where nobody will find them…_

_That could be anywhere. It has to be with us, but the teams are bound to attack us if they know it's in our weapons holsters and there's no way in Hell that Sayuri's going to let me stick them down her shirt like mom does with the money she 'borrows' from Sasuke… But! There's one place that they won't ever be able to look!_ He thought triumphantly, then held the pieces in his cupped palm. He threw his head back and opened his mouth, dropping the pieces in.

Sayuri blinked, staring at him in shock.

"Mitsuru-"

"Don't worry," Mitsuru said after he swallowing, making a disgusted face at the flavor and the large sizes, "I'll just regurgitate them as soon as we find a board. If we run into any teams, we'll tell them that we don't have any pieces."

"But…" Sayuri's voice trailed. The idea was ingenious. She smiled. She knew Uwasa would have said the same thing. Mitsuru was looking at her with a reflected expression and it made her blush lightly, more of annoyance that she was actually being super nice to the kid.

"I can't believe you're going to expect me to touch those things and put them on the board." She muttered. Mitsuru rolled his eyes, stuck his tongue out, before throwing open the door to the room after he tore off the boards. Sayuri followed him close behind, holding on tightly to her deceased teammate.

**DAY TWO, THAT AFTERNOON**

"This is way harder than I thought…" Setsuna murmured pressing herself against the side of the building. Her brother leaned on the wall beside her, covering his mouth to hide a snicker.

"I think it's hilarious! Those stupid Kirigakure Genin didn't even know we tricked them into chasing after Suna team! And to top it off, I even borrowed one of their pieces while they turned tailed!" He announced, withdrawing a shogi piece from his navy blue cloak.

"Ketsuraku if they come back for us, I'm blaming you." Mitasu muttered quietly, averting his minty-colored eyes. Setsuna nodded in agreement, sighing. Ketsuraku shrugged, putting his hands up with his shoulders.

"Oh, come on. They couldn't have figured it out that fast." He drawled. As soon as he spoke, a kunai shot just past his head, slicing a bit into his ear. He flinched and swung his hand up, clasping a hand over his ear. Setsuna gasped and jerked off the wall with Mitasu, who was glaring in the direction the kunai came from.

"I told you!" Mitasu cried, then made quick hand signs, sending a wind jutsu swirling in the direction of the attack. A huge wave of water blocked the attack as the three Kirigakure revealed themselves, walking out past the wall.

"About time we found you," Kangoku shouted with a laugh, a hand on his hip and his snake coiled around it and wrapped around his neck, "We're going to have some serious fun trying to take our piece back as well as the other two you ripped off that Suna team we hunted down. You're pretty sneaky, thief." Ketsuraku smirked, turning to face Kangoku and locking his pale yellow eyes with Kangoku's violet ones.

"Hell yea. Come on, tough guy. You've got a big mouth. Let's see you do something other than boost how cool you are." He challenged. Setsuna's dark eyes flickered, glaring at her brother for a split second before she looked at the Kirigakure team. She took quick note that the other two had completely vanished. Her eyes narrowed and she gripped the blue handle of her katana tightly in her fist. Mitasu stood at Ketsuraku's other side, but facing to the right. He had seen the third teammate, Noroi, shoot off to the side, his guard going up on full alert.

"Setsuna, to your left." Mitasu commanded, clenching his fists and getting ready for the first attack. Setsuna quickly withdrew her katana, positioning for attack. Immediately, Ketsuraku flew forward quickly, running at Kangoku, who smirked. Kangoku thrust his hand out.

"Hachi no Jutsu!" He shouted. The snake shot away from his neck, coiling around his arm quickly. The snake's head shot out, its tongue sticking straight out before the snake seemed to morph, taking the shape of a thick, jagged sword with two split ends made up of the snake's tongue, which grew to fit the size. Ketsuraku winced and ducked, skidding across the dirt and sliding between Kangoku's legs to avoid the snake sword.

Kangoku whipped around, swinging Hachi with him, aiming for Ketsuraku's throat. Ketsuraku threw himself back, his hands touching the ground. He smirked and faked to swing his legs up, which Kangoku expected and went to swing, but Ketsuraku flung himself head first up, his hand shooting out and slamming into a pressure point in Kangoku's gut. Kangoku gasped, wincing a little.

Meanwhile, Noroi stood on a rooftop, thrusting his arm out before he leapt off, aiming to slam his fist into Mitasu's face. Mitasu dodged to the side, flinging his leg up and his foot colliding with Noroi's jaw. Noroi yelped a little, skidding in the dirt. He gritted his teeth, his pale blue eyes wincing behind his thick black glasses.

"Hand over the p-pieces that you took." Noroi commanded, tugging almost nervously on his left sleeve. Mitasu glared.

"Yea, right. Finders keepers."

"F-Fine then! I-I'm warning you that if you don't…!" Noroi didn't know what to say now and it made him even more nervous, shifting uncomfortably. What would he do to the younger Genin? He couldn't kill him! He was just a kid! Noroi groaned, reaching up to run a hand through his half black, half silver hair in frustration. Mitasu frowned.

_He's nervous. Why is he even a shinobi? He can't even form a threat without stuttering like that. I should just knock him out…_ He thought, then thrust his hand out toward Noroi, who jumped.

"I-I didn't say I was g-going to kill you!" Noroi cried. Mitasu blinked.

"I didn't say I was going to kill you either… I'm going to knock you out so you leave my team and I alone." He added, then ran at him. Noroi's eyes flashed and he moved fast, well, fast for Noroi and slammed his fist into the ground, sending a small crack out at Mitasu's foot. Mitasu yelped and his foot slid into the crack, catching a hold of his ankle and refusing to let go. Noroi reached out and quickly caught Mitasu by the throat, jerking his head up to face him.

"S-Sorry, but I promised my t-teammates that I'd stop m-making them fail all t-the time… Wowww, y-your eyes are pretty, y-ya know, f-for a guy! I-I'm not saying- Never mind! This is probably the reason K-Kangoku always m-makes fun of me… I-I swear, maybe I s-should just forget ab-about this wh-whole thing if he k-keeps making f-fun of me." He was talking to himself now and he knew it, but he couldn't help it. Who better to agree and understand than himself anyway?

Mitasu took his chance and swung his fist up into Noroi's gut, knocking him back across the dirt.

"Ow!" Noroi complained, struggling to get up as he groped for his fallen glasses. Mitasu jerked hard, trying to rip his foot free hurriedly. Meanwhile, Setsuna leapt up at Asobu, who had appeared in a nearby window of a building. She swung her katana easily, making a mark across Asobu's forehead, but it was quickly ignored as Asobu whipped out her own sword, a long iron blade with a curved, hooked end that caught Setsuna by surprise.

The hooked end caught into her clothes, just barely missing her thigh and Asobu ripped, frowning in disappointment as she missed the skin. Setsuna winced and moved fast, slamming into Asobu, so they went crashing through several walls within the house. Setsuna hurriedly picked herself up, her eyes flickering out the corner of her eye as Asobu attacked her with the blade, slamming it right threw her… Making her poof into smoke.

"Shadow Clone!" Asobu barked angrily and whipped around hurriedly in time for Setsuna to attack her. She barely blocked the on coming katana in time. Setsuna kept a straight face, slamming her katana against Asobu's sword. They clanged and sparked, the sound of metal against metal echoing. Setsuna finally got a slash in the deep gray vest that Asobu wore, ripping it open and the dark purple shirt underneath to reveal pale skin, stained with blood.

Asobu gritted her teeth, did a few flips and skidded across the floor. Setsuna frowned suspiciously as Asobu hooked her sword onto her waist, looking straight at her. There was a pause before a beautiful sound filled the air.

Asobu, her muscular body still and her mouth parted, was singing gently. Her deep, raspy voice had easily changed to a high, lovely soprano. Setsuna blinked and something inside her head practically clicked, making her go still.

The voice rose, fell, rose, fell, went on for a while, then picked up again gently, taking longer for the past bit to end. It was smooth and flowing, just a gentle 'ah' being sung. It changed, going on for a while, quickly rose and fell, before continuing on softly.

Setsuna felt her eyelids grow heavy, her body feeling slack as she fell to her knees, her katana clattering to the floor. Asobu let her soprano lengthen out for a while as she walked toward Setsuna, slowly unsheathing her blade again. Asobu, despite the gentle flowing of her singing, had a cold expression on her face, her icy eyes glowing as a gentle breeze swept through the house from an explosion outside, her navy blue ponytail flowing as her bangs gently swept over her face.

_It's like one of those scary movies that dad made mom watch… They didn't even know I was watching from the hallway. It wasn't that scary, but this is almost exactly like it… A siren approaching its prey as her heavenly voice rang out… But the guy got away from her because he broke the spell by stabbing himself…_ Setsuna's chocolate eyes seemed to shine behind her drooped eyelids, her hands flexing at her side before she brought her nails down on her revealed right thigh.

Asobu swung her sword back, aiming for Setsuna's neck, but Setsuna was fast. She easily rolled out of the way, snatching up her katana and whipping around. Asobu's eyes flashed as she swung around. Setsuna's katana cut off a good five inches of her long navy hair also slicing deeply into her back. Asobu hissed past her teeth and stumbled away. Setsuna turned to face her full on, swinging her katana back and forth as it moved as fast as the wind.

The blade slashed, cut, sliced into Asobu's light skin, leaving long red gashes before Asobu finally managed to swing her blade up, knocking away a few attacks, but she stepped back and lost her balance. She gasped, her eyes widening. Setsuna's eyes flashed as well and instinct made her lunge forward to grab the front of Asobu's torn shirt, but her hand missed.

Asobu fell back, crashing through the window and falling toward the ground.

Noroi, who had been smacked several times and hit so hard in his left arm that it was numb, saw Asobu fall first. His eyes widened.

"A-Asobu!" He barely managed to dodge an attack to his throat as he bolted forward, racing with his left arm limp and right arm tense and hot. He caught Asobu around the waist with his good arm, skidding across the hard dirt on his knees, skinning them down so they were shredded and bloody. Noroi winced, trembling slightly in pain as he held Asobu, who stared at him in shock.

"N-Noroi… What're you…?"

"S-Sorry, Asobu. I-I know y-you don't like it w-wh-when someone s-saves y-you, b-b-but…" Noroi blushed deep red now, squeezing his eyes shut behind his glasses mostly out of his embarrassment. Asobu's eyes softened slightly before they drifted to Setsuna, who hopped out the window, landing in a graceful crouch before rising to her feet, going to help Mitasu, who was cringing at the pain in his chest where Noroi had landed a hard blow. Noroi helped Asobu stand, her arm draped over his shoulder as they looked at their other teammate fight. Setsuna looked at Mitasu, holding out a hand to help him stand before they looked on as well.

"Stand down already!" Kangoku shouted at Ketsuraku, a smirk still on his face, but an angry and bloody one as one of his teeth had gone flying from a punch in the face. Ketsuraku smirked and made a hand sign quickly.

"Fuck you!" He laughed and leapt back, avoiding a slash by Kangoku's snake sword. His hand signs flew by quickly before he slammed his palm into the ground. Rocks shot up from the left, the right, the front, the back, all racing toward Kangoku, whose eyes widened in horror. Hachi quickly seemed to morph back into the form of a snake, his beady gold eyes widening as he slithered around Kangoku's feet. Kangoku clasped his arms over his head as the rocks all slammed together over his head, locking him in like a prisoner.

"Stop!" Asobu shouted. Ketsuraku's eyes locked on her, still smiling. Asobu glared at him.

"Leave my cousin alone. You can have our piece." She stated. Noroi blinked and looked at Asobu worriedly, nervously. Asobu kept a firm expression, her icy eyes sharp. Ketsuraku beamed, tilting his head as he stood up straight, giving her a two-fingered salute.

"Ne! Thanks, milady! And such a nice lady you are." He added with a wink, making Asobu blink. Noroi pushed his lips into an almost comical jealous pout as pink spread across his face as well as Asobu's. Ketsuraku thrust his hand out toward the dome of rock around Kangoku, who was screaming, but barely heard. Ketsuraku held his hand in a fist before flexing his fingers out widely, causing the rocks to burst back away from Kangoku.

"You…!" Kangoku started, but Asobu snorted.

"That's enough, Kangoku. Get off your fucking high horse. We're going to find different pieces." She snapped. Kangoku glared at her for a split second, then shot off angrily, not even bothering to argue. Noroi and Asobu shared looks before nodding to Ketsuraku, shooting off after their angry teammate. Ketsuraku laughed a little as he walked over to his sister and teammate, whistling.

"Ketsuraku, you don't have a scratch on you." Mitasu observed in surprise, staring at his older teammate. Ketsuraku gave him a closed-eye smile, his lips turned up. He might as well have a pair of cat ears to go with that sly smile of his.

"Hee~ All that training paid off!" He replied cheerfully. Setsuna sighed with relief.

"You scared me there for a minute…" She murmured quietly. Ketsuraku blinked, then beamed.

"Awww! Setsuna was worried!"

"Ketsuraku!" Setsuna protested, then yelped as Ketsuraku wrapped his arms around her in a hug, lifting her up off her feet. Setsuna blushed, wincing a little, squirming.

"B-Brother, you're suffocating me!" She protested, then flinched in slight embarrassment as Ketsuraku cuddled his cheek against hers before Mitasu coughed, clearing his throat. Ketsuraku blinked and let go of Setsuna, who shivered a little, averting her eyes and trying to compose herself again, still blushing lightly.

"If you don't mind, we should sit down and rest a bit. My ankle's sore and I don't think I can do any hopping around." Mitasu explained. Ketsuraku beamed.

"Of course, Mitasu! I'm sure you were probably left out of that, huh?" He asked with a wide grin. Mitasu blinked, twitching.

"Left out of- No! No, it's fine- Ketsuraku!" He groaned as Ketsuraku swung his arm around his neck, jerking him close and using his other arm to take Setsuna around her neck. Both his teammates yelped, wincing as he held onto them.

"I love you guys! When we're Chuunin, I'll treat you guys to ramen at Ichiraku! And we'll stop by Chizu Sekai for huge cubes of cheese!" He announced proudly, jerking a bit too tightly on Mitasu's and Setsuna's necks, making them both choke and groan quietly.

**DAY TWO, EVENING**

The evening had grown peaceful as most teams were holding onto their three pieces, only now searching for the shogi boards. Ketsuraku sat comfortably on the floor, biting into a stick of limp Swiss cheese. Setsuna was lying on the couch, half asleep as she rested her body. Mitasu was watching the only door to the room as the rest were boarded up.

"See anyone yet?" Ketsuraku yawned sleepily, reaching up to rub the heel of his palm against his eye. Mitasu shook his head, trying to hide a yawn as he leaned on his knees, watching the darkness outside the small home sit in silence. It seemed nobody was going to show up and find a board that they could steal away, however, Mitasu did spot someone moving. He stiffened, his eyes squinting as he saw a familiar Genin land on the ground.

Uchiha Mitsuru had hit the ground, landing with a wobble. Even from the distance, Mitasu immediately knew that Mitsuru was badly wounded. Blood caked the front of his clothes and streaked from his mouth. He could even make out a broken rib poking at the inside of his skin. Mitasu twitched, but bit into his lip, keeping silent. He saw Sayuri land after him, holding Uwasa on her back, but she herself was also badly wounded. Mitasu could make out the deep wound in her gut, which was sloppily wrapped with bandages.

"Ketsuraku," Mitasu whispered, alerting both siblings as they crept over, "It's Mitsuru and his squad, but… They don't look like they're in any shape to fight at all…" Ketsuraku blinked, then beamed.

"He's our cousin, no way am I attacking him. Invite him in!" He exclaimed, getting to his feet. Setsuna sighed, getting to her feet. Mitasu nodded and followed suit, stepping out behind Ketsuraku with Setsuna by his side.

"Mitsuru!" Ketsuraku called. Mitsuru jumped, visibly flinching, clasping a hand over his ribcage. Sayuri jerked her head up, grimacing.

"Great…" She muttered, but Mitsuru just shushed her as Ketsuraku approached, beaming kindly.

"Hey, cuz! You guys want a place to relax? We fixed up that little house over there so we can stay! Come with us, we already have three pieces, so no need to spazz." He added, flipping up the three pieces. Mitsuru blinked, glanced at Sayuri, who averted her eyes and sighed quietly before shrugging lightly, flinching in the process. Ketsuraku gestured for Mitsuru and Sayuri to follow as they walked inside. Mitasu shut the door for the night, pushing a dresser in front of it before turning around to face Mitsuru and Sayuri.

"So, you guys find your pieces?" Ketsuraku asked, plopping on the couch beside Setsuna as Mitasu took Mitsuru over to the floor where he began to heal them, mostly on Sayuri's strict orders. Sayuri stood awkwardly with her back toward the door, still holding Uwasa tightly, mostly out of pain and uneasiness.

"Uh, no," Mitsuru murmured, getting a weird look from Sayuri, "We haven't…" Ketsuraku sighed.

"It's okay, three days left! What happened to you guys, by the way? You look like you ran into the devil." He added, surprised.

"We did." Sayuri muttered dryly.

"And Uwasa?" Setsuna asked curiously, looking at the Hyuuga on Sayuri's back. Sayuri flinched and looked at Mitsuru, who lowered his eyes.

"… Uwasa's dead." He answered as calmly as he could. For once, Ketsuraku did not smile, his expression twisting into confusion and disbelief. Setsuna paled, clamping a hand over her mouth in shock. Mitasu didn't stop healing as he had a feeling they would say that, but just hearing it made him tense and his throat lump up. His lower lip trembled, but he bit into it as he continued to heal Mitsuru's broken ribs.

"D-Dead…?" Setsuna managed.

"How did…" Mitasu couldn't even bring himself to speak now, stopping quickly to rub at his eyes before returning to work. Mitsuru averted his eyes, nibbling on the corner of his lip.

"Some guy… From Kumogakure…" He managed, wincing as pain shot up his back and torso.

"And why…?" Ketsuraku hardly knew what to say himself, shifting uncomfortably. Sayuri averted her eyes tiredly.

"We're not leaving Uwasa behind. No matter what." She added. The room was quiet for a while before Mitasu spoke.

"Sayuri, I'm finished healing Mitsuru. Come here and I'll heal you." He said in a quiet voice. Sayuri nodded and placed Uwasa's body on the floor near the dresser in front of the door before walking over and taking Mitsuru's seat. Mitsuru grimaced, sighing with relief as he felt much better.

"Hey," Ketsuraku spoke up softly, "If you'd like to rest, there's a bedroom just down that hallway. It's got no windows, so it should be safe from intruders."

"… Thanks, Ketsuraku." Mitsuru murmured and went down the hall. As soon as he fell in the bed, he was asleep, the blankets pulled over him as he curled up into a ball, hugging his pillow comfortably.

Setsuna eventually drifted to sleep herself, leaning on her brother's shoulder. Ketsuraku gazed over at Sayuri, who winced every so often, trying not to gasp in pain as Mitasu healed the wound in her stomach.

"How long has he been dead? His body might…" His voice drifted. Sayuri looked up, grimacing.

"Several hours." She answered. Ketsuraku frowned, nodding thoughtfully, then looked at Mitasu, who averted his eyes.

"Any time now. You have to be careful. You might want to be careful. Dead bodies can contract diseases and not to mention, once the corpse starts rotting, it'll reek terribly and might attract not only animals, but probably other shinobi to investigate. I don't know so much if they'll attack you since you have no pieces, but…" Mitasu's voice drifted as he brought his eyes up to lock with Sayuri's. Sayuri stared at him for a moment before her eyes widened slightly.

_He knows… He knows about the pieces in Mitsuru's stomach… But he already has three pieces, so it shouldn't matter, hopefully. They don't seem intent on lowering the competition for the third rounds. If any of us make it, that is._ She thought with a deepened frown, looking away. Ketsuraku was drifting off to sleep now, leaning on the arm of the couch with Setsuna leaning against him.

After a while, Sayuri rose to her feet, looking at Mitasu, who yawned sleepily. She sighed, waving a hand at him.

"Thanks, you helped a lot, but you should get some rest. You have work yet to find the shogi board." She said. Mitasu looked at her sleepily, smiling faintly.

"Yea," His smile faded to a sad expression, "I'm sorry… About Uwasa…"

"It's not your fault… It's the Kumogakure's team and I swear that I'm going to get him for this. If you see him, leave him to me." Sayuri stated firmly. Mitasu nodded, then watched as Sayuri moved down the hallway, finding an empty room with a good bed, flopping down to rest.

Silence filled the little home as Mitasu put out the last of the lights that were in the house, moving toward the hall, but something caught his eye.

Something flashed and caught him from behind, not even giving him a chance to gasp or make a sound for help before darkness overcame him.

His last thought…

_Uwasa…?_

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**A/N: It's short, about 11 pages, but oh well! GOOD CLIFFHANGER! MWAHAHAHA! :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are much appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 10

**WOO! UPDATE! LONGER CHAPTER 8D!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters introduced within this fan fiction, except for the ones that I have already claimed as my own! I'll list them again when the next arc begins. lol.**

**A/N: THIRD POV**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Ten: **Are You REALLY Suicidal? Suspicions are Spoken!**

Mitasu slumped back as the pressure point on the back of his neck was struck. He was let down onto the floor gently by the intruder, who stood up slowly. The intruder's light eyes glowed in the pitch blackness of the little home, their bare feet scuffing and leaving behind light trails of blood.

_I can't drag this out. It's like the runt said. Bodies decay in a matter of hours after the death._

Moving through the halls, the intruder was careful in movements, lifting their feet now as they made their way down the hall. The door to Mitsuru's room opened slowly, eerily without a single creaking sound. Only a small sliver of light shown past a small hole in the wall, reflecting off the Konohagakure headband, dark violet hair brushing over the metal.

The intruder stepped forward, moving a hand outwards and being as silent as possible as a blue glow emitted around the thin, pale palm that was caked in blood. The intruder's whitish-lilac eyes narrowed as they moved forward, slowly and dangerously, moving the hand outwards and over.

_Time to dissect you of your pieces._ The blue glow shown throughout the room now as the chakra was forced into the palm. The Genin under the blankets was so deep in his fitful sleep, squirming slightly, but not on the verge of waking up. The glowing hand reeled upwards, higher, higher…

A kunai shot out, hitting the wall. The intruder's eyes jerked up and the glowing hand swung around along with the owner's head. The intruder's eyes narrowed, locking on Mitsuru, who stood across the room with Sayuri at his side in the doorway. Sayuri gasped as the glow revealed the face.

"No way…!" She managed. Mitsuru paled.

"U-Uwasa?" He cried in shock. Uwasa stood across the room, standing with a glow hand held out toward them, whitish-lilac eyes glowing. His dark violet hair, spiked and short on the right, long and loosely spiked on the left. His white shirt with the stand up collar that hid the some of his mouth with the buttons leading down, a dark purple sash over his left shoulder and a matching pair of pants that were stuffed into shin-high black stockings that went around the center of his foot, no shoes on. The headband on his forehead glinted.

The only difference was the gaping bloody hole in the chest was now gone, only blood caking his clothes now. He slowly smiled lightly, his glowing hand going back to normal as he dropped it to his side.

"Mitsuru. Sayuri… I'm glad you guys could make it." He greeted. Mitsuru blinked, utterly confused as he tried to process the image in front of him. Sayuri shook her head, waving her hands.

"No, no, no! This is impossible! You're dead!" She cried. Uwasa raised an eyebrow, folding his arms over his chest.

"You want me to be dead?" He asked.

"No!" Mitsuru and Sayuri cried in unison. Uwasa averted his eyes, dropping his arms to his sides limply, sighing.

"Mitasu. He came up to me while I was lying on the floor. I wasn't dead yet. He healed me and I came back here." He answered. Mitsuru's eyes were flickering in confusion as he nibbled on the end of his thumb.

"But…" His voice trailed, but he just sighed more out of relief. Uwasa smiled back comfortingly, moving to take a step toward them. Sayuri suddenly frowned, narrowing her eyes, whipping out a kunai and pointing it toward him.

"Bullshit." She spat. Mitsuru blinked.

"Sayuri! It's Uwasa! What the hell are you doing?" He demanded. Sayuri didn't glance at him as she kept her eyes focused on Uwasa, who stopped at the sight of the kunai, frowning.

"We caught him trying to kill you, Mitsuru. If we hadn't of set up that clone, you could have died. We both know it's a lie that Mitasu healed him. Mitasu went to sleep right after I did and I remember when I said I heard something? It must have been Mitasu hitting the floor. This guy knocked him out so he could come in here and kill you." She sneered at Uwasa, her grip on the kunai tightening. Mitsuru frowned, averting his eyes for a moment, then looked across the room.

"If it's not Uwasa, who is it…?" He managed. Uwasa's eyes narrowed threateningly.

"What? Mitsuru, why would you even listen to her? She's always bragging about how good she is, just because her family is full of famous ninja and her brother is practically becoming a legend for being a laid back pig." He muttered. Sayuri's eyes widened before she gritted her teeth.

"Shut the fuck up! Uwasa my ass! This guy is an imposter! Uwasa hated me talking, but that doesn't mean he'd go and insult someone he knows is stronger than him!" She snarled angrily, taking a step toward him, but Mitsuru blocked her, then blinked in shock at his action. Sayuri glared at him.

"Get outta my way, shrimp! This asshole is using Uwasa's body! He has to be! Uwasa would never say such a thing and you know it!" She barked. Mitsuru flinched at her tone, then moved his hand back. As soon as he did, Uwasa moved. He darted forward to attack Sayuri, who gritted her teeth and swung her kunai out across his face. Uwasa winced and reeled back. Mitsuru easily caught Uwasa's arm in his mouth, instinct causing him to move forward and help Sayuri. Uwasa jerked hurriedly at Mitsuru's bite on his arm.

Mitsuru's eyes widened as soon as his teeth sank into the flesh and he reeled back.

"AGH!" He shouted, spitting. Uwasa stumbled back, holding his hand over his arm where his flesh was missing. Mitsuru wailed before he fell to his knees, hunching over and vomiting. Sayuri's eyes went wide.

"Mitsuru-"

"It's rotten! Ugh, gross, gross! His flesh is decaying!" Mitsuru yelled in disgust, clasping a hand over his mouth and cringing. Sayuri grimaced, then jerked her head up as Uwasa made another move to attack, this time catching Sayuri's wrist as she made a slash at him with her kunai. Her eyes flickered and she gritted her teeth. She swung her knee up into Uwasa's gut, making him gasp before his hand caught her throat, the tips of his fingers glowing blue

"Sayuri!" Mitsuru lunged up and swung his foot up, kicking Uwasa's hand off before he swung his hand back, smacking Uwasa across the face. Uwasa winced, stumbling back, but his hands were both glowing blue now before he looked back. This time, it was evident that something was wrong.

A portion of his cheek was falling off, revealing his jawbone, blood leaking down and his teeth clicking together. His eyes had slowly changed color.

"This is worthless… It's obvious poor Uwasa's parents will grieve… But I'm not aiming for his parents. I'm aiming for yours. Both of yours." He seethed, his voice now hissing as his left cheek was basically missing.

"What're you talking about?" Mitsuru demanded. Sayuri clenched her fists, glaring.

"Who the fuck are you? And speak up now or I swear… I won't hesitate to kill you." She threatened. The imposter sighed and stood up straight, smirking as he reached up to brush his hand over his face, looking a bit exasperated as a bit of blood smeared across his hands.

"Both of your parents are very powerful in Konohagakure. The Uchiha Clan known for their criminal information and Kekkei Genkai. The Hatake family, as well as Kuromura, are also very powerful with their taijutsu and intelligence. Both of them are obstacles in my path. I really didn't want to sneak into these exams as they bring back some bad memories…" He paused, grabbing a handful of flesh from the area where Mitsuru had bitten him.

He smirked and easily sank his nails in, ripping off a chunk.

"Stop it!" Sayuri barked.

"Just tell us who you are!" Mitsuru cried desperately, grimacing as the chunk of wet, rotten flesh hit the floor. A worm had been hiding in flesh, wiggling around, making Mitsuru sick to his stomach again. Sayuri cringed. The imposter turned sideways, away from them, then glanced at them as he reached up to the left side of his face.

"Who am I? My name… Is Yakushi Kabuto." His voice morphed from Uwasa's as he spoke, slowly taking on his normal tone as he ripped the flesh away from his upper left face, dropping it to the ground to reveal a snake-like dark eye. Mitsuru stiffened and Sayuri's eyes widened slightly. Uwasa's face smiled, but it slowly fell away as his eyes fluttered shut. It was as if someone was pulling out of his body.

"It seems my short mission failed… What a waste. I suppose I should stop wasting my time with you and move onto the second reason I came. Your cousins, posing as Amegakure shinobi, Mitsuru." Uwasa's mouth moved as Kabuto laughed. Mitsuru blinked.

"W-What? Cousins? Those-"

"They are. Somewhat. Probably second cousins… They are Tsukuyomi members. Ohhh, judging by that look, seems mommy hasn't been telling you things. She always was a stubborn bitch." Kabuto laughed again as Uwasa's body hit the floor, limply. Sayuri gritted her teeth and rushed forward, pausing an inch from the body, wincing.

"Ugh… The body reeks… Mitsuru, I don't think we can lug him around anymore." She murmured, glancing at her teammate. Mitsuru stiffened and ground his teeth together, studying Uwasa's decaying body. The chunks that Kabuto had ripped off were still lying on the floor like ground hamburger, blood caking them.

"I don't care… How much his body stinks. We have to take him with us. Kabuto mentioned Uwasa's parents. Lady Hinata and Lord Triedge will be heartbroken when they find out that Uwasa's…" His voice trailed. Sayuri's eyes glowed, mostly out of realization.

Mitsuru was right. Hinata had four kids, counting Uwasa, having lost a fifth one during childbirth. She was very protective of her children and if she found out Uwasa was dead and his body couldn't be recovered, she'd be distraught, but at the same time… Finding a rotting corpse of your son wasn't all that peachy either.

"We don't have much of a choice, Mitsuru… We can't take his body, but," Sayuri bent down, pinching her nose with one hand, using the other to pull Uwasa's headband off before she rose to her feet, frowning, "We can take his headband. Lady Hinata and Lord Triedge will have to accept the death of their son. It happens all the time, shinobi dying like that. Don't get me wrong… The first night I slept, the night Uwasa died, I had nightmares about it. I kept seeing that-that stupid Kumo guy stabbing him… It made me wake up, feeling scared… Uwasa was our friend and our teammate. He even acted like our older brother sometimes. It's a fact of being a shinobi… We have to be prepared to die and Uwasa was. He died for us. Died knowing we were going to pass the exams."

"… You're right…" Mitsuru said softly. Sayuri gripped Uwasa's headband tightly in her fist, gritting her teeth. Despite the fact, she was still angry. Why Uwasa? He was still young and he still had his life ahead of him…

"But that doesn't mean he's getting away with it." Sayuri found herself saying. Mitsuru blinked and looked up. Sayuri glared at him, but more at the thoughts in her head.

"I'm going to kill him, that Kumogakure ninja, Aoi. We both are."

"Sayuri…"

"He's not going to get away with killing our teammate. If we cross his path after we pass these exams, I'll gladly rip him to pieces so he's unrecognizable! Come on, we're wasting time here. Forget sleeping. We're going to find the shogi board." Sayuri stated and headed out the door to find Ketsuraku and Setsuna just waking up Mitasu. Mitsuru ran after Sayuri, tailing her as they headed for the door.

"Where are you guys going? What just…?" Ketsuraku's voice trailed as Sayuri glanced at him, frowning.

"Sorry. As much as I want to sleep and rest, we're not doing it. We're going to go look for our pieces. Thanks, seriously, for the healing. You have no idea. I owe you guys one, but right now, we have to carry out Uwasa's last wish." She explained. Mitsuru stared at her.

_Wow… Sayuri's pissed. I don't think I've ever seen her like this, but she's right. We have to pass the exams, become the best ninja we can be… And kill the guy who murdered Uwasa. Jeez. A girl's even talking stronger than me._ He thought with a sweat drop, but quickly followed Sayuri out of the little house and into the pitch darkness of the dome.

**DAY THREE, AFTERNOON**

"This is such a waste," Arisu muttered as she replaced Kimiko's bandages angrily, "Quit ripping them off or I'll gladly rip that eye back out!"

"Shut up, stupid! It itches!" Kimiko barked back at her, pouting stubbornly and rather comically. Arisu rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, forget it… Where the hell is Kazuhiko? He should be back by now." She muttered, frowning now as her eyes drifted outside the barn where they had spent all night and morning.

Meanwhile, across the field, Kazuhiko sat in an open window, crouched on his hunches with his arms resting on his knees. In one hand, he held the jar Nozomu had given him, just by the cap as if ready to drop it. His lazy lilac eyes stared at the swirling back mass that had begun to twist and turn like crazy inside.

"I know you used to be super loyal to Lord Kotaro. Mom told me. She said she hated Lord Kotaro. That he was a selfish jerk who used everyone around him. Pretty funny since dad is practically the same way. It's why I hate him, hate her. Mom's a hypocrite, dad's a power hungry animal…" He murmured dully, giving the jar a light flick, but not throwing it. The mass in the jar seemed to settle down, swirling closer to peer through at Kazuhiko.

"I don't know if you understand me," Kazuhiko sighed, bringing the jar up closer to his face, holding it carefully with two hands, "Lady Tomoko said that being in that jar for so long might have just turned you into a mass of power instead of… Well, whatever you were before. A shadow?" He peeked into the jar as the black fog rolled along the edges of the jar, curling toward the top and pushing, but failing.

"I'm not gonna say I'm jealous of you," Kazuhiko murmured, "But I think it's pretty interesting… Slightly admirable that you were loyal to your boss, even someone like Lord Kotaro. I do a lot of crap Master Nozomu says, but I just do some of it to kill time and the rest of the time I make Arisu and Kimiko do it. I'm not too into the ninja thing… It's stupid. I rather do something else, like sleep forever…" His voice trailed as he clasped a hand on the top of the jar. The blackness inside curled closer to the bottom as it looking up eagerly.

Kazuhiko closed his eyes, as if to fall asleep, his fingers tightening on the cap and beginning to screw it slowly.

"That sounds good… Falling asleep forever… Sleeping in the ground… Maybe dirt makes a good blanket…" His voice drifted as he went to pull the cap off, ready to release the roaring power that swirled around excitedly inside. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch toward a smile.

_And nobody's here to stop me this time…_

He went to the pull the cap off, but a hand came down and slammed the cap back on, without even having to screw it. Kazuhiko frowned at the hand that had also smacked down on top of his before lifting. The hand wore an elbow-length deep purple-gray glove with metal backs, cuts going through the centers of the metal. The hand pulled back, but Kazuhiko made no move to turn or anything, just stared straight ahead into the jar. The mass inside was probably shrieking with rage, whipping around wildly now and crashing against the sides of it.

"Don't sneak up on me like that." He muttered. A chuckle came from behind him and he stood up in the window, turning to face the intruder. A man with silver hair, down to the middle of his back with strands of black on the right side with snake-like dark eyes. He wore a cloak that matched his gloves, black wire rimmed glasses over his eyes. A few shriveled scars ran along his face.

"I wouldn't open that if I were you. It'd destroy this place." He pointed out. Kazuhiko stared at him flatly, putting a hand on his hip.

"I don't care."

"Of course not… If I hadn't of been here, I'd allow you to do it, but I am… And so are your sisters, young Tsukuyomi." The man drawled. Kazuhiko's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression showing annoyance as well as a look that said 'you have some nerve coming up to me'.

"What do you want? Speaking of rotten sisters, they're probably wondering where I am… So make this fast." He sighed, leaning on the window. The man raised an eyebrow.

"You're not going to ask who I am, where did I come from? Not attack?" He questioned with a smirk, his arm folded. Kazuhiko stared at him flatly.

"Yakushi Kabuto. Master Nozomu has you in our own little Bingo Book."

"Interesting. Care to share anything else before I question you on your loyalty to said master?"

"Go ahead. I just do what he says cuz I'm bored."

"Does Nozomu know?"

"Nope. Don't care. Tell him if you want. Gives me a chance to go somewhere else."

"You don't care about anything do you?" Kabuto asked with a light smile as he tilted his head. Kazuhiko stared at him, more annoyed now.

"No. If you came to ask me to join you, no. I haven't seen someone as weak as you since my little sister was born." He answered dully. Kabuto visibly twitched in aggravation, but kept his false smile on.

"Come now. No need to go and insult me… I'm S-ranked compared to your Genin rank." He pointed out. Kazuhiko shrugged, pushing off the side of the wall, standing up straight with his arms folded.

"Rank. It's just a stupid label, like calling someone gay or rich. Pointless to me… It's getting late. I'll talk to you when I feel like it." He nodded to Kabuto, who's eyes narrowed to slits as Kazuhiko let himself fall backwards out the window.

Kazuhiko flung his hands up, caught the top sill of the window below and flung himself back into the house to avoid Kabuto, who had looked out the window to see where he went. Kazuhiko landed quietly on the ground, standing up straight before heading for the exit. Something crashed through the floor in front of him, making him jump back.

Kabuto stood up straight, turning to face him with an annoyed smirk.

"You're not walking away from me like that." He stated and swung his hand out, letting it glow blue in the form of a scalpel. Kazuhiko frowned.

"Medical ninjutsu is such a bore… Too graceful." He replied. Kabuto smirked.

"We'll see about that." He raced forward, aiming to slice at Kazuhiko's throat. Kazuhiko dodged to the side, frowning before he flung his foot up to kick Kabuto in the jaw. His ankle was caught and he was torn across the room into a wall, puffing into smoke. Kabuto's eyes darkened as he whipped around to throw senbon from inside his sleeve at Kazuhiko, who made a move to leave. The senbon stuck in the floor at Kazuhiko's feet, making him stop and glance up.

"You're not going to let me go, are you?" He asked. Kabuto just grinned, waiting as he kept his sly look on his face. Kazuhiko let his eyes drift away before he faced Kabuto, spreading his arms out.

"Kill me then because I'm not going to fight you. You're a waste of my time." He stated.

"With pleasure. I wish there were more shinobi like you out there, willing to die without complaint." Kabuto chuckled and walked up to Kazuhiko, taking his time as he took out a scalpel, holding it up. He stopped in front of Kazuhiko, bringing the scalpel toward his neck, watching Kazuhiko's totally emotionless face. He paused, studying Kazuhiko's face.

"I'm surprised. You're so relaxed."

"I've attempted twice, one of which was stopped by you. Go ahead. I could care less." Kazuhiko responded dully. Kabuto smirked, then brought the scalpel near Kazuhiko's neck. Kazuhiko's eyes stayed blank. Kabuto went to ram the scalpel into his throat, but Kazuhiko's hand shot up, catching it. Kabuto frowned.

"I should have known you'd be a coward… Like your dear cousin, Ruriko." He muttered, but found himself unable to escape Kazuhiko's grip. He was surprisingly strong for a kid.

"No, I just remembered something… That's all… Why would I _ever_ want someone who's as weak as my little sister to kill me?" He mused.

"Heh," Kabuto shut his eyes, "Still going on about it? What should it matter? You don't stand a chance." Kazuhiko's eyes seemed to glow, but very faintly.

"Cooked or raw."

"Hm?" Kabuto frowned.

"It's just a question. Answer. Cooked or raw." Kazuhiko repeated. Kabuto smirked, then chuckled before laughing.

"The infamous Tsukuyomi Cannibalism… Please, I've dealt enough with it. I know just how to handle it."

"Good for you. Raw." Kazuhiko stated and swung Kabuto's hand away before lunging at him. Kabuto's eyes flashed and he ducked to the side, unable to avoid Kazuhiko's teeth. The sharpened canines ripped right through the left sleeve on his cloak and a loud crack rang out, but Kabuto made no a sound as shock went through him.

_CRACK-KUH-SHLUCK!_

Kazuhiko easily skidded across the floor of the house, Kabuto's dismembered arm in his mouth. He turned to face Kabuto, standing casually with the arm hanging from his mouth almost like a dog holding its kill, his eyes still dull and bored. Kabuto glared at him, but said nothing, his hand grasping over where his arm had been torn from, in the bicep.

"Your agility by far beats Ruriko's… That's annoying… Maybe I did underestimate you." He added under his breath. Kazuhiko didn't even use his hands and chomped down harder, blood splattering up across his face and to the ground. Kabuto's eyes narrowed to angry slits as he watched Kazuhiko chew the loose cotton of his cloak along with the flesh of his arm. Kazuhiko ate the air, sleeve, bones, nails, and all, only a small bit of sleeve and skin left hanging from his mouth. He reached up and wiped his mouth with the back of his black fingerless gloves.

"I haven't eaten since before we got here. Thanks. See you later." Kazuhiko gave him a very lazy salute, resting a hand on the jar now hooked onto his waist as smoke whipped around him in a flash, making him disappear.

Seconds later, Kazuhiko appeared just outside the barn, turning and heading through the opening, seeing Arisu and Kimiko already packed and getting ready to leave. Arisu looked up and glared.

"You idiot. Where were you? You said a stroll, not a vacation." She snapped angrily, adjusting her glasses up on her nose. Kimiko rolled her eye, hugging her plushie to her chest as she stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"Dummy, dummy, dummy!" She chanted angrily. Kazuhiko stared at them both past lazy eyelids, but said nothing. Arisu frowned, then her eyes widened.

"Kazuhiko, who's blood is that?" She asked, pointing to the blood splattered on her brother's face and torso. Kimiko blinked, then made a few.

"Ew! That's why he went for a walk! He ate one of the other Genin! I told you it was stupid to starve him! Told ya, told ya, told ya!" She shouted, punching Arisu in the arm. Arisu scowled at her, then walked up to Kazuhiko, using the sleeve of her light blue top to wipe the blood from his face.

"You asshole. Don't eat the competition, hear me? Older or not, you're not the boss here. I am." She added darkly, then slammed her shoulder into his as she made her way out. Kimiko stuck her tongue out at Kazuhiko again before catching up with Arisu. Kazuhiko paused, staring at the hay of the barn, turning to follow his sisters.

_Arisu's got nerve… Coming up to me like that after I've eaten. I could've easily eaten her throat out, Kimiko too._ He thought, averting his eyes before they landed on a rat that scampered from a hole in the wall. It shot across his path, aiming to hide inside one of the plastic horses, but Kazuhiko stepped on its tail, looking down at it. He waited, trying to force the gnawing hunger in his gut before his frown deepened.

"Sorry…" He lifted his foot and the rat took off, squeaking like crazy, followed by Arisu's voice that shouted for him to hurry and follow. Kazuhiko sighed and walked out, closing his eyes as he put his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not that mean… I like animals."

**DAY THREE, EVENING**

"Three pieces and all it took was a few beatings." Lei pointed out as he followed Yuko and Zakuro into the town hall building. Zakuro sighed, clasping his hands behind his head.

"A few? Yuko almost died twice."

"Liar," Yuko accused with a huff, but smiled anyway, "I'm fine, thank you, Zakuro. I'm glad you were there one of those times." Zakuro seemed to smile lightly.

"You should repay me."

"Uh, how?" Yuko asked, obliviously, blinking in confusion. Lei sweat dropped, pushing his lips into a pout.

"Come now, Zakuro, don't start your flirtatious commentary." He sighed. Zakuro visibly twitched and smacked Lei upside the head. Lei yelped and clasped his hands over the back of his head, squeezing his eyes shut tighter. Yuko sweat dropped and patted Lei gently as Lei made a comical face as he puckered his lips, tears running down his face.

Zakuro ignored him, frowning as he approached the front desk of the town hall. Two mannequins were set up behind it, their heads tilted eerily with huge grins on their faces, their eyes hidden behind symbol-less headbands and shredded yukata on. The first one was posed with his arms resting on the desk and a leg popping up in the back while the second had his arms in a position as if he were about to walk.

Lei lunged over the desk, peering down as his feet lifted off the ground. Despite his eyes being closed, he seemed to know what he was looking at as he grasped up a tarnished silver necklace.

"Hey! Look at the engraving on the back of this ruby silver necklace! It's from that new village, Ketsuekigakure! This is got to be worth a lot of money!"

"Lei, put that away," Yuko scolded gently, wagging a finger at him, "Just because we're here, doesn't mean we can steal. Come on, we need to find a shogi board."

"Oh, all right- Hey, look! Marshmallows!"

"Lei!" Yuko protested, pouting as her teammate took the necklace with him as he raced toward an end table near a door. Yuko went after him with a sigh, shaking her head.

Zakuro frowned and started to go after them, but stopped suddenly as a chill fell over him, the scuttling of his insects filling his ears quickly as if to warn him. He turned his head to the side, looking past his glasses to see the mannequins. The second mannequins hands were down at its sides, its head straight up now, but its frightening expression of eerie joy still remaining. The first seemed to be stretched across the desk, its hand stretched outwards.

It was evident right away what was happening. Zakuro whipped around.

"LEI! PUT THE NECKLACE BACK! NOW!" He shouted, his voice booming angrily. Lei gasped, jumping as he whipped around, a marshmallow stuffed into his right cheek. Yuko smacked her forehead, then looked over at the mannequins, gasping aloud.

"Oh my god! Lei, it's a trap!" She cried. As soon as she spoke, the door beside the end table blew off its hinges and shot across the floor, slamming into Zakuro, who cursed aloud, wincing as he was slammed through a wall. Yuko winced and whipped around to face the door as a mannequin, dressed like the ones at the front desk, lunged forward with a huge, six-foot butcher knife in its grasp.

"LEI!" Yuko yelled and immediately her body lit up with shrieking flames. She raced forward, dodging a slash with the knife, which dented the ground inwards. She caught the mannequins wrist, throwing it up and swinging it around. The doll went flying, slamming into the registration desk and causing the other two dolls to hit the floor, but they too rose to their feet.

One lunged at Yuko with a letter opener, but unlike the first mannequin, this one exploded into flames as soon as Yuko kicked it in the head. Almost immediately, several others poured out of the open room.

"Yuko! Watch your back!" Zakuro managed, getting to his feet and thrusting his hand outwards. A huge swarm of insects flooded outwards, surrounding the second doll from the registration desk. The doll flailed and danced about to avoid the swarm, but they piled over it before it could attack Yuko from behind. Yuko nodded thanks to her teammate and continuing sending heavy blows to each mannequin, causing each and every one to explode into flames.

Lei had been knocked to the floor, grimacing with his closed eyes as he rubbed the side of his head.

"Owie… He didn't even say knock knock or anything…" He mumbled, then lifted his face up as the doll holding the over-sized butcher knife. The mannequin swung its large sword back and aimed for Lei's head, but Lei was gone in an instant, zipping across the floor on his slippers as he unsheathed his sword, grinning like a fox.

"You're slow, carrying such a large weapon." He commented.

"Lei, don't talk to them, they're just dolls!" Zakuro barked.

"Zakuro's got a point, Lei! Just get rid of them!" Yuko agreed, ducking a blow from the mannequin attacking her, kicking its feet out from under it and setting it to flames. By now, flames were stretching upwards, higher and higher toward the ceiling.

Lei lunged at the doll, his sword slashing and slicing rapidly without any stops. The doll barely had time to pick up its large sword, however, it swung its foot up and kicked Lei in the chest, catching him off guard and knocking him flying across the room over a wall of flames. Lei slammed into a wall, wincing.

"Ow!" He complained, struggling to get up. He yelped, rolling across the floor as the doll hovered over him, swinging its sword down. The doll had its back facing the others as it kept slamming its sword down, Lei ducking and dodging. Yuko noticed it first, her eyes widening as she looked at the doll.

"Lei! Zakuro! I found the shogi board!" She yelled, thrusting a finger in the direction of the large doll attacking Lei. Zakuro moved his face in that direction, catching the sight of the shogi board imprinted on the dolls back past the ripped yukata.

"Lei! Don't destroy the doll entirely! Just lop its head off or something, just don't ruin the board on the back!" He yelled before dodging to the side, avoiding an attack from a doll.

"Gotchya!" Lei beamed and ducked between the dolls legs, dragging his sword along the ground with him as he whipped around, making a hand sign. Flames shot through the crack and knocked the doll blasting through the air and slamming into the ceiling.

Lei lifted his face up, smirking as he made a hand sign and thrust his sword upwards, letting go of the black handle, the fox charm on the end dancing about. Lei jumped up after it, making hand signs rapidly.

"Wind Style! Tornado of Death!" He thrust his foot up, wind moving along with it and becoming a huge whirlwind, causing the flames in the room to tear off the burning curtains and wooden furniture, tying in with the tornado. The sword shot up and went right through the doll's stomach accurately and shot up, out the top of its head and into the ceiling, leaving it dangling them, the knife dropping down and getting torn up in the tornado.

Lei grinned and did a flip, using his chakra to stick to a wall. The whirlwind stopped, the flames dying. The dolls below had been completely defeated, Yuko and Zakuro looking up at their teammate with relief.

"Good job, Lei!" Yuko called with a smile, giving him a thumbs up. Zakuro harrumphed a bit jealously, his arms folded over his chest, but he said nothing. Lei pushed off the wall and shot to the ceiling, sticking perfectly upside down as he took the sword out.

"Wow, I'm surprised," Lei mused loudly as the doll hurdled down the ground, landing with a loud crash, "You'd think the dolls would be tougher."

"Maybe not for you, but for us they rather were." Zakuro put in, but Yuko shrugged, beaming confidently as she rocked back and forth on her heels.

"I think I did pretty good. They weren't all that hard either. You're just so used to defense and not offense, Zakuro, but you did great!" She added quickly, to which Zakuro merely sighed. Lei landed down with them as they kicked the doll over, ripping the yukata away to reveal the shogi board on the back.

"Places, people." Zakuro stated and removed the pieces from behind his sunglasses, handing them out. Yuko beamed, holding her piece eagerly.

"We did it, guys! We're going to become Chuunin! Just one more portion!" She cheered and smacked her piece in place. Zakuro mimicked the movement. Lei's mouth went into an 'O' of awe.

"Woww… You hid them in your eye sockets, Zakuro? COOL!"

"LEI! PLACE THE PIECE!" Zakuro all, but roared, his face tingeing red with annoyance as a vein pounded in his forehead. Yuko sweat dropped, smiling lightly, patting Lei's shoulder before he placed the piece. Nothing happened for five seconds before a cloud of blue smoke shot up from the board and swirled around them in a flash.

As it cleared, nothing, but the mangled dolls remained…

**WHILE THE GENIN ARE AWAY, THE JOUNIN SHALL PLAY**

"Ha! I win again!" Kotori boosted, clasping a hand over the cash and reeling it in happily, cocking her head from side to side and sticking out her tongue at the other Jounin, who all groaned.

"You must be a legend in Konohagakure!" Idomu declared drunkenly, slamming his empty sake bottle on the table and folding his arms over his chest. Kakashi sweat dropped, closing his visible eye in a nervous smile.

"Idomu-sensei, I think you've had a little too much… You're starting to drool." He added, pointing to the drool that was comically dripping down the other man's mouth.

"AH! OH MY GODS!" Idomu cried, smacking at his mouth. Kotori laughed, waving a finger at him. Guy joined the laughter as well, only more dramatic as he flailed like a dying chicken as tears flew from his eyes. Isao snorted a laugh, clasping a hand over his pink face. Nero smacked his forehead.

"You three," He pointed at Idomu, Isao, and Guy, "Can't hold your alcohol. I think six is enough… Or you'll end up like Kirumaru-sensei." He gestured a pinkie at Kirumaru, who had long since passed out on the sofa, sleeping like a baby with a pillow under his head and a happy drunken smile on his sleeping face.

"Awww, he looks like a kitten when he sleeps…" Kotori cooed, poking Kirumaru in the cheek, but he still remained fast asleep.

"Uh, nice analogy." Nero deadpanned with a sweat drop, taking another awkward sip from his sake bottle. Asuma passed him a cigarette and they both took a deep breath of the cancer sticks before sighing, smoke swirling around.

"This is starting to bring back a lot of memories." He mused.

"Tell me about it." Nero agreed, cocking a brow as Kotori won another, very short round of the card game they had made up within the time they had been there. The first day while the Genin were away, they got drunk.

Day two? More alcohol and some cake earlier as Kotori, Honoka, Ayaka, and Roku had banded together to make some real food. Getsugakure obviously thought onigiri was enough to fill up several full grown adults.

Day three? They had gotten what they ordered… Several more crates of pure alcohol and another terrible hangover that morning, but that didn't stop them!

Day four had come and it was basically the same as every other day that they had had there, but no one seemed tired of it. They had come up with three card games, played hangman, poker, even a round of tag in the building as well as several games of hide-and-seek.

And people said sensei didn't know how to have fun.

"I say we take a break for something to eat," Honoka sighed, exasperated at having lost another game, "All this thinking is giving me a headache. Who came up with this game in the first place?" All the fingers pointed at Kakashi, who was looking away innocently, having just finished a bottle of sake. He looked back around with a lazy eye, which widened slightly at the pointing fingers.

"What?" He asked, obliviously, having been completely off in his fantasy world. A cloud passed over the other Jounin comically before drifting away as some of them dispersed for the meal.

"Say," Idomu mused as he watched Kakashi assist Honoka in passing out the bento lunches, "Kotori-sensei, wuz Kakashiii got under tha mas-k o' his?"

"A face." Kotori deadpanned before laughing out loud at Idomu's comical pucker lipped scowl. Even Nero snickered a little before taking a sip.

"NOES. I MEAN THE FACE. Wuz his face?" Idomu drawled, pointing at his own face. Kotori blinked, smiling at him with a question mark blinking above her head before she snapped her fingers.

"A good looking face. Is that what you're looking for?" She asked. Idomu slammed his head into the table in defeat, even waving a little white flag around. Isao snorted, smacking Idomu upside the head with his shoe.

"Dun be stupid! 'Course he's got a good face under thar, ya dumm-uss! He's doesn't want you to get jealous!" He chided, making Idomu scowl at him. Nero sweat dropped.

"I could have sworn I said no more drinking." He muttered, looking up with a mouthed thank you as Honoka handed him a bento with a smile. She sighed a little, looking at the other Jounin as they ate and partied some more.

"Nothing's going to work, Nero-sensei. I even tried borrowing a bottle away from Isao to dump it."

"And?"

"… I rather not relive the consequences." Honoka answered dryly with a sour look as Ayaka laughed beside her, taking a sip from her sake.

"That guy's a pervert! Was so funny! You should've seen Honoka's face when Isao pasted a kissy kiss right on her face!"

"AYAKA." Honoka glared at her twin, but Ayaka just went right on laughing. Honoka smacked her forehead, a doom scene practically playing. Nero smiled with a sweat drop.

"You have every right to smack him." He replied.

"WOO!" Ayaka whooped and followed it up with a smack upside Isao's head, making him yelp and flail, falling forward and knocking Idomu from his seat, which in turn caused him to land on the table… Making it crack in half and crash to the floor, sake and food flying as well as cards, chips, and money.

"FREE MONEY!" Guy shouted and dove in. Kotori blinked as if she were shocked at the scene for a second before cocking a brow, landing a foot in Guy's face as he had started to get up with a handful of cash.

"HEY. You can't take that all for yourself! What the hell will you spend it on?" She demanded, pressing her foot into Guy's face. Guy sweated, averting his eye to the side, grinning widely before giving her a thumbs up, causing some money to fall to the floor.

"A NEW TRAINING GROUND SO MAY KONOHA'S YOUTH BURST FREE FROM THEIR-" Kotori pushed on his face, laughing as he flailed a little.

Of course, this was all in good fun. It was mostly laughter and whoops. Honoka walked back to the counter, having managed to grab a few bottles of sake, dumping them down the sink with a little out. Roku came up behind her to watch, making her jump a little before smiling.

"Roku. You were gone for a while. I hope asking you to bring in a garbage can wasn't too much… It's just, well…" Honoka turned to look at the chaos going on with the others. Roku followed her gaze before sweat dropping and looking back, twiddling his fingers and smiling lightly.

"Na. It's fine. I was happy to do something. Sitting around isn't my, uh… Thing…" His voice trailed as he glanced toward the doors. Honoka followed his gaze, then looked back.

"Something wrong?" She asked curiously. Roku paused, debating whether to mention it or not. Was it really worth mentioning that Kobayashi Nori's chakra had a wretched scent? He frowned, glancing up at Honoka's curious expression.

"Chakra… That sensei, Nori. I've passed her a lot around the building when I go get lunches. I can't stand being around her. Her chakra stinks almost as bad as Kotaro's did." He explained carefully. He almost said Sasuke's. He knew it was bad, and maybe a little dangerous, to completely loathe Sasuke. He had always hated the stuck up bastard and would never really let anyone know that he wanted to kill the Uchiha Clan leader. It's probably just get him into trouble.

Honoka's brows knitted together in a frown as her green eyes glowed almost suspiciously.

"Actually, now that you mention it, I also got a bad feeling from her. I happened to be in the shower room downstairs and she was in there, making notes in a journal… I noticed that she even showers with those bandages around the lower half of her face… I don't mean to sound rude, believe me, but something about her is very odd. Almost unnerving." She agreed with a nod. Roku paused, averting his gold eyes as he reached up to fiddle with the bead in his hair.

"I don't know if I'm being odd myself, but I had to tell someone. Keeping it bottled up bothers me… You're the only other person I've actually said something to, privately, other than Ruriko-sama." He added quietly with a light blush. Honoka blushed in turn, but more out of surprise and flattery. She knew as well as any Konoha Jounin that Roku wasn't much of a talker, as his vocabulary was limited and he was a bit shy, but she felt unique for Roku to actually speak with her comfortably.

"I promise not to say anything if you don't want me to," Honoka said with a smile, tilting her head, "You can wait until you confirm your suspicions or maybe the feeling will die… But just so you know, I get the same vibe from her, Roku… I really do."

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**A/N: 17 pages! Phew… Working up to the end of the second part of the exams! I had to stop a few times, but it's done~ I've got a lot of muse right now :) Well, thank you so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	11. Chapter 11

**UUUUUPDATE! UUUUUPDATE! 14 pages O:**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters introduced within this fan fiction, except for the ones that I already claimed as my own and will eventually list again at the end of this arc. TADA!**

**A/N: THIRD POV!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Eleven: **Setting Off the Traps! The Chuunin Exams Are Creepy…**

"Three pieces, three pieces," Shisui sang as his team walked down the street toward a little shop that was run down, "We got three pieces already!" Riko beamed happily.

"It's great! Now for the shogi board and we pass the exams! This is gonna be so cool! We'll all be Chuunin!" She boosted. Haruhi folded his arms over his chest, closing his deep violet, almost black eyes.

"Don't party yet. We still have the final rounds coming up… And in case both of you have forgotten," He added almost sternly, making Riko and Shisui look at him with wide blank eyes, "Our parents are coming up for the final rounds and the festival before it."

Expecting a freak out at the mention of parents, Haruhi was slightly disappointed as Shisui cheered about the festival. He smacked his forehead and shrugged, moving on ahead into the shop.

_Why do I even bother? He's like a ball of sunshine._ He thought with a sweat drop, pushing the door open to the shop. A cracked bell overhead rang gently and fell off at Haruhi's feet. Haruhi frowned, then looked up as he walked in Shisui and Riko babbling behind him and walking in. They looked up and fell silent.

The toy shop was very old, very ruined. Dolls, animal figures, marionettes, plush dogs, and board games were scattered, torn, or dirty, collecting dust over the years. The front desk was crackled, the paint chipping with an old register and kites hanging overhead, most torn. Haruhi approached the front desk curiously, frowning as he saw a small doll sitting against the register.

It was dressed in a baggy black hakama with a black, white trimmed kimono-like top. One of its black button eyes were hanging out on a thread as its head was tilted forward. Its long bright orange hair hung to its waist and it held a little sword in its hand.

Haruhi cringed. It reminded him of one of the characters from his mother's manga collection and he immediately looked away.

Meanwhile, Riko wondered up to the register too, blinking at the doll and tilting her head curiously as she leaned in. As she leaned in, a round black spider had zipped down from above, landing on the dolls belly. Riko's eyes shot wide open and she shrieked, reeling back.

"SPIDER!" She cried, leaping back into Haruhi, who yelped and slammed into a shelf, which shuddered. Shisui leapt back out the way just in time for the shelf to come tumbling over, dolls and glass flying with toys and dust. Shisui coughed, waving a hand in his face, frowning. Riko winced as she had landed on top of Haruhi, pushing herself up on her hands and knees. She blushed lightly at Haruhi underneath her, who coughed a little.

"Haruhi… Erm, are you all right?" Riko asked quietly, standing up slowly and helping her teammate to her feet. Haruhi nodded, brushing himself off and frowning toward the busted shelf, then back at Riko.

"What was that for?" He asked with a cocked brow. Riko blushed red, shifting uncomfortably at Haruhi's stare.

"Er, uh… There was… A spider… On the counter…"

"A spider." Haruhi deadpanned. Riko blushed even more, making about half an inch or less between her thumb and forefinger.

"Bout that big?"

"Unbelievable." Haruhi sighed, looking away. Riko sighed, embarrassed and looked down at the floor almost ashamed, but Shisui came right up to her and hugged her, beaming.

"It's okay! Spiders are icky! I understand!" He cooed. Riko smiled faintly and thankfully before something caught her eye, making her frown. Her eyes landed on the front desk by the register where the black little spider clearly sat, however, something was wrong about the scene that made Riko far over look the spider.

The doll was gone.

As Shisui released Riko to argue with Haruhi over the broken shelf, Riko moved toward the front desk. She poked around, avoiding the staring spider on the counter. There was no sign of the doll. She headed down an aisle, her black sandals scuffing on the floor as her bright blue eyes scanned the shelves. She was curious. The doll couldn't have gotten up all by itself and walked off!

She paused, turning to face a shelf lines with plush rabbits. They wore large heavy navy blue bows on their crème, fluffy fur, layered with dust. Their beady crystal blue eyes glowed, reflecting the lights from outside. Riko frowned, then heard something tapping behind her. She whipped around, facing a shelf full of stuffed elephants, dogs, and children holding pinwheels with demented smiles on their faces. Riko twitched.

"Shisui? Haruhi?" She called.

"What is it?" Shisui called back, the sound of his footsteps moving toward her. Riko started to move, but she tripped, crying out before she hit the ground on her front, wincing. She rubbed her head as Haruhi and Shisui ran around the corner, coming toward her.

"What happened?" Shisui asked curiously, bending down to help her up. Riko frowned, averting her eyes.

"I don't know… I was looking for the doll by the register." She mumbled. Shisui blinked, tilting his head curiously as he touched a finger to his lip.

"What doll?" He asked. Haruhi frowned.

"There was an ugly doll by the register." He stated. Shisui went to question him, but a voice cut them off.

"RUDE! MEANIE, MEANIE, RUDE! JERK!" A voice cried. It was small and squeaky, but definitely belonging to a young boy. Haruhi, Shisui, and Riko whipped around toward the front of the store. At the end of the aisle on a small cart filled with old, rotten sweets and other plush toys, the doll from the register was standing with its little sword thrust toward them. Rows of sharp teeth were revealed, its button eyes, even the loose one, glared at them.

"What the…?" Haruhi blinked, reaching up to rub his eye as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Riko's jaw dropped. Shisui stared, blinking harshly, shaking his head and staring again.

"No way." He deadpanned, confused. The doll's button eyes seemed to narrow somehow, someway, as its sharp-toothed grin grew wider.

"You're a bad boy," The thing announced, thrusting the sword at Haruhi, who glared at it in annoyance, "You're such a meanie, calling me ugly! If you think that's funny, I'll turn you into a bunny! I'll rip you into pieces bit by bit, no matter how much you scream and hit!"

"Shut up," Shisui barked at the thing, "I could squish you into dust, you freakish walking rhyme book!" The doll blinked, then pouted.

"Don't be a jerk, it ruins your perk."

"Don't rhyme or I'll smack you right off that cart!" Shisui shouted in aggravation. He felt silly arguing with a toy, but he couldn't help it. The thing was so annoying and its voice was like nails on a chalkboard! Haruhi whipped out a kunai, ready to throw it, however, a wire from a marionette shot out. Haruhi's eyes flashed and he jerked his head in the direction, then yelped as the wire tore his wrist up.

"Ow!" Haruhi winced as the wire cut into his skin. Shisui gritted his teeth and went to catch the wire and tear it, but thousands of threads caught Shisui by his wrists and reeled him backwards, slamming him into a wall. Blood flew from his mouth, sending pain racking up his body. He cringed, feeling stiff with pain and unable to move. Riko's eyes widened and she managed to dodge a flow of wires from the shelves, but completely missed the ones that caught her around the ankles and tore her down onto the floor, making her wince. The doll cackled, its laugh echoing before it thrust its sword out once again, as if ordering the cart to be pushed since it moved forward slightly. Haruhi gritted his teeth in aggravation and went to move his other hand, but a wire shot down from the ceiling, catching him around his wrist and jerking it up. He gasped.

"Fuck!" He cursed. The doll glared.

"Hey, hey! Watch your mouth, boy! Or I'll turn you into a toy!"

"Shut up! Let me go or I'll rip the stuffing out of you." Haruhi swung his foot up and kicked the cart, making the doll yelp and leap up, a string attached to its back, jerking it up. The doll snickered and swung itself forward into Haruhi's face, making him cringe.

"Let's see! What to do first? Let's change that face, make it something of a race, hm?" It mused and a rabbit from the shelf flung a spool and thread at the doll, who caught it in its simple round fist before it brought the needle up, grinning.

"Let's start sewing!" It sang and thrust the needle through Haruhi's cheek. Haruhi gasped and squeezing his eyes shut, wincing as the needle slid through his mouth, drawing blood before it was forced back out. The doll began to stitch along his cheek, humming aloud.

"The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout~ Down came the rain and washed the spider out~ Up came the sun and dried up all the rain and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again~" The little toy sang, tying a little knot up in the top right corner of Haruhi's cheek. Tears pricked at Haruhi's eyes, his teeth gritted as pain throbbing in his cheek.

"Yay! Half a smile done! Now more, little hun!" The doll sang and held its hand out for more thread. This time, Haruhi jerked harder at the wires around his wrists and swing his foot up, kicking the bottom of the doll. The little plush toy shot up at the ceiling and fell back down, hitting the ground with a plop. The wires on his wrists jerked, cutting deeper into his wrists and he felt warm blood trickling around them.

"Haruhi," Shisui managed to shout after he regained his senses, "Stop jerking at the wires! They're enforced with chakra and tearing at them like that is going to rip your hands right off!" Haruhi glanced over his shoulder at Shisui, gave a nod and looked back in time for the doll to struggle to its feet, the string on its back, jerking it up.

"Stupid doll," It growled at him, "Thinking you're so tall, that you can step on me! I'll show you who's tiny!" It swung its hand down, bringing threads of wire from the ceiling. Haruhi watched with a glare, peeking for a second at Shisui, who was slowly pulling the wires off himself.

_POINK_

Haruhi twitched and barked out some colorful language, glaring down at the doll as it threaded the wire right through his feet.

"Let's see you move now, let's watch you bow!" It taunted, dancing around by Haruhi's feet, threading the wire around. It only danced for a short while before Shisui ran up and swung his foot back, kicking the little doll and sending it flying in a flash. The doll smashed into the cart, causing both to slam into a wall. The doll burst into bits, its arms, legs, and head popping off.

Shisui spat in the toy's direction, glaring at it.

"Stupid thing. Makes me hate dolls even more," He muttered, then turned to Haruhi, swinging a fist up, "This might hurt…" Haruhi nodded and braced himself, squeezing his eyes shut as Shisui jerked hard on the wire. They ripped, of course, tearing from Haruhi's feet and from around his wrists. Haruhi collapsed to the floor, losing his balance until Shisui caught him under his arms and set him on the floor.

Shisui walked over to Riko, bending down and tearing the wire with his hands, helping Riko stand.

"Sorry I couldn't help…" Riko said quietly, rubbing the back of her neck, but Shisui beamed.

"Don't beat yourself up! We still have to find the shogi board, ya know." He added with a nod, looking at Haruhi, who was running his fingers over the tight stitches in his right cheek. Riko grimaced, her eyes drifting to the side for no particular reason before she blinked and pointed.

"THE BOARD!" She yelled, making both Shisui and Haruhi jump and look in the direction of the cart. The cart had been flipped upside down to reveal a perfectly good shogi board. Shisui cheered.

"YAY! Let's do this!" He announced and took the cart, bringing it over. Riko set her piece on the board, the click echoing as Shisui placed his. Haruhi did the same. Blue smoke exploded up and spread throughout the shop before sucking itself into non-existence before the ruined shop and shogi board were revealed…

**DAY FOUR, AFTERNOON**

"I thought we'd never get these pieces," Yuriye sighed tiredly, rubbing the heel of her palm into her eye as she placed the pieces in her weapons pouch, "All those other Genin are very skilled in their jutsu." She glanced up toward the barn, frowning as a plastic owl looked out from the hayloft. Yuuma followed her eyes, then walked into the barn, frowning at some of the busted apart animal figures. Nakusu hung back a bit, standing on the edge of the field with a frown.

He turned to face the field, his eye drifting over it suspiciously before he turned around, his eyes scaling the barn. He walked closer to it, then pushed up off the ground in a flash, appearing in the hayloft. He stepped past the owl, knocking it over in the process. Below, he could hear Yuriye trying to start conversation with Yuuma and failing as they scouted the stalls.

Nakusu walked across the creaky floorboards, kicking hay around. His eye moved to the side and spotted it. A row of nests meant for chickens, however, the center one was not a nest, but a shogi board. Nakusu looked away, however, blinking before frowning.

Dangling from a rafter and connected to a hold on the wall was an large oversized pendulum. It was as sharp as an axe and almost half the size of the barn. Nakusu stood still for a moment, studying it, lifting his eye to scan the large chain links that jingled gently. They led down, down, down… Nakusu turned and curiously walked over, but stopped.

Nestled in the hay was a plastic cat, curled up with its tail gently swaying mechanically as it made not a sound more. The chain was connected to the floorboard beneath the cat, Nakusu concluded. Knocking the cat away from its position was going to set it off.

Nakusu's eye widened and he bolted to the opening in the hayloft at the fallen away. Sure enough, a chain link was connected to the owl's backside, pulling through a hole in the floorboard. Nakusu whipped around.

"Yuuma! Yuriye! There is a trap! Be careful!" He shouted and made a run for the ladder, hearing Yuriye gasp aloud. He grabbed a hold of the ladder, but stopped in mid-stride. He'd hit something on his foot on the way to the ladder.

_I did not just do that…_ He thought with a flinch and whipped around to find the cat in the hay kicked slightly to the side. Nakusu whipped around, his eye locking on the pendulum. It creaked slowly at first and swung forward without another moment's hesitation.

Nakusu leapt back, away from the blade as he slammed into the wall, wincing in pain. The pendulum began to rock back and forth, making the entire barn groan and whine. Down below, he heard Yuriye yell his name. She swung her foot around, blocking an attack from a snarling mannequin dog with a chain connected to its collar. It gnashed its teeth, aiming to bite her throat out, but Yuuma kicked it hard in the side, knocking it flying across the stables and into a wall.

Yuuma whipped around and slammed his fist into a dog's nose, causing it to burst into pieces. He ducked just as two dogs leapt at him before colliding and exploding into pieces. Yuriye panted a little, holding a hand over her heart before she made fast hand signs. Water formed from the ground, pulling itself up into a huge wave. It split apart before the separate tall waves crashed into the mannequin dogs, throwing them off their feet.

They crashed to bits on impact with the walls and ground. One shot up at the ceiling, causing a hole to explode.

Nakusu yelped, clasping his arms over his head as bits of a mannequin dog burst through the floor at his feet, immediately hitting the pendulum as it flew backwards. Nakusu smacked himself up against the wall again. His eye was too busy watching the pendulum to realize his footing. His eye flashed and he gasped, missing a step and falling through the hole, somewhat. He caught the edge of the hole desperately, digging his nails into it.

Yuriye jerked her head up to see Nakusu dangling from the hole. She winced and slammed her fist into a dog's head, making it burst before she went to make a move for Nakusu, however, she was stopped at the sound of a loud crashing. Yuuma swung around after exploding another dog, his eyes flickering. A stall had been busted open, a tall black mannequin horse plunging out, flinging up its front hooves.

Yuriye darted out of the way just in time to avoid the raging hooves. Yuuma's eyes glowed and he leapt back, landing on a stall wall and making hand signs. Yuriye recognized them easily and shot up at the hole, catching Nakusu, who yelped. They landed on the top floor of the barn, but ducked immediately to avoid the pendulum.

"Where did that thing come from?" Yuriye wondered aloud, watching the thing move before she looked down through the hole. Nakusu frowned, then peeked through the hole in time to see a powerful blast of fire explode at the horse, which began to buck and throw itself around.

Bad idea.

The horse slammed into the side of the wall, which immediately crackled with flames. Yuriye moved fast, making hand signs and thrusting her arm through the hole, sending thick streams of water racing toward the flames on the wall, putting them out. Nakusu averted his eye before he managed to stand up, just in time to avoid the pendulum.

"Nakusu! Look out, stay down!" Yuriye protested.

"I am fine. Just keep an eye on Yuuma and make sure the barn does not burn or else it will crash on top of us." He informed, then turned back toward the pendulum, his eye locked on the shogi board across the room. He bolted forward, Yuriye yelping a little as the pendulum flung backwards, whistling through air. Nakusu ducked down and rolled as the large weapon zoomed right over his head. He pushed himself back up quickly and bolted back for the board. He easily pried it off the board.

"Yuriye, tell Yuuma to get out! You do the same!" Nakusu commanded. Yuriye nodded, then shouted through the hole down at Yuuma before she jumped to her feet. She leapt back to avoid the pendulum before racing for the opening in the hayloft. Nakusu shot after her, ducking the pendulum. As he rolled to get to his feet, he grabbed up a metal farm tool and swung around just in time for the pendulum to slam into him, but hit the metal piece first. Nakusu winced and within a second of having the pendulum slam into him, he found himself shooting out the hayloft, the board in hand.

He threw the tool into the hayloft before whipping around and catching his balance on the ground. Just as he landed, a surviving mannequin dog shot from around the barn. Nakusu winced and did the first thing that came to his mind, smacking the thing upside the head with the board. He smirked as the dog flew back and slammed into the barn wall.

"We got the board," Yuriye beamed happily, immediately taking out the pieces as Nakusu set the board on the ground, "Look, we'll be Chuunin!" Nakusu glanced up at her, then nodded. Yuuma sighed, but nodded as well in agreement. Yuriye passed out the pieces and three clicks followed before a cloud of blue smoke encircled them before puffing into the sky, revealing nothing, but a shogi board.

**DAY FOUR, EVENING**

"This is going to take forever," Mitsuru grumbled, "We've checked all the buildings and the streets, even the allies. There hasn't been a shogi board that'll fit the pieces." Sayuri let her dark eyes glide across the darkened path ahead of them as they had moved into the forest part.

"There has to be one around here, we're not giving up already. The final day is tomorrow and we have to be in the other room with everyone else." She told him, then pushed off the ground, shooting up into the trees. Mitsuru sighed and shot after her, landing on a tree branch beside Sayuri, who scanned the terrain.

"See anything?" He asked, glancing up at his teammate as he sat on his hunches. Sayuri shook her head, sighing, but she didn't given up looking around. Mitsuru looked away, grimacing a little as he clutched at his stomach. He was starting to get a belly ache. If he had to remember one thing from these exams, it was to never eat shogi pieces.

Mitsuru's eyes drifted past a tree for a second, then flicked back, widening slightly. A tree not far from them was positioned in a rather good hiding spot amongst the other trees, but it was definitely easy to pick out if you squinted. The tree was stubby and shaggy with dead leaves if any at all with countless of bottles hanging from it. They clicked together gently as a breeze of wind rolled in.

"Sayuri, look over there." Mitsuru said, pointing. Sayuri blinked and glanced toward the tree, spotting it easily. She shot off, Mitsuru at her side. They landed on the ground near the tree, the breeze of their land clinking the bottles together melodically. Sayuri's eyes flitted around the tree as she walked around it. Mitsuru walked up to a bottle, standing on top toes to hold it and examine the green glassy surface before his eyes widened.

"Hey! Sayuri! The bottles have something in them!" He exclaimed. Sayuri frowned and started to go back over to Mitsuru, but stopped suddenly, her eyes landing on one of the strings that the bottle was hanging from. Her eyes followed the string, followed, followed, followed all the way up into the air. Her dark eyes widened.

"Mitsuru! Don't pull the on the bottles!" She yelled, realizing the trap. Mitsuru tilted his head, trying to hear Sayuri's yell from the other side of the tree. He got back on his flat feet, the bottle getting pulled down slightly.

Immediately, vines seemed to slither out of nowhere and catch Mitsuru by his feet. Mitsuru yelped as he was torn to the ground. He winced, then glanced at his ankles, whipping around with a kunai and stabbing at the vines. To his shock, the vine squealed and tore away, zooming away. Mitsuru blinked, then scrambled to his feet as Sayuri came running around to him.

"I told you not to pull!" She snapped. Mitsuru winced, then scowled at her.

"I couldn't hear you! And what the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

"That vine! Or, well… It looked like a vine. It practically screamed when I stabbed it…" Mitsuru muttered. Sayuri flinched.

"Mitsuru…" She started, but was cut off as an angry shriek sounded from above them. They jerked their heads up to see where all the strings connected through the branches and leaves. It was almost like a woman with light green skin, no hands or feet really as they seemed to just turn into vines. Her green, grassy hair hung to the nape of her neck and swept over her face, but not hiding eerie all yellow eyes. Her mouth revealed rows and rows of jagged teeth as she tore her left arm from the branches of the other trees around her.

Thick, grassy vines shot toward the Genin below. Sayuri leapt to the side, whipping around to take out a kunai. Mitsuru jumped back, taking out several shuriken and flinging them straight up at the woman in the branches. However, she thrust her head to the right, causing a root to burst from the ground and block the attack. Sayuri gritted her teeth.

"There's no way this is gonna work! She'll just keep blocking! We need to get straight at her!" She muttered, throwing the kunai down in defeat. Mitsuru frowned, scanning the trees before blinking.

"I have an idea! Sayuri, you know chidori, right?" He shouted as he dodged a few vine attacks. Sayuri blocked and ducked, rolling across the ground before jumping to her feet, frowning at her teammate.

"Well… Yea, but-"

"Charge it up! Run at me, but bring your feet forward and kick off my hands so I can send you up there! No amount of tree can stop that attack!" Mitsuru exclaimed. Sayuri paused, frowning deeply before nodding. She raced a ways away, ducking and skidding away from attacking vines and roots. Mitsuru took up his position, clasping his hands together with the palms facing up.

Sayuri gritted her teeth and made the hand signs quickly. Mitsuru smirked as he watched, not wanting to admit that he was pretty amazed at her abilities. Sayuri thrust her palm downwards, barking the attack name as lightening crackled into the palm of her hand, shrieking. A stray bolt shot out at the ground, also burning a branch to a crisp. Sayuri swung her hand back, then raced as fast as she could at Mitsuru.

Roots shot up to trip her, but she easily hopped over or stepped off them before she pushed off the ground. Mitsuru grew tense as Sayuri's foot landed on his hands. He swung up with all his might, sending Sayuri blasting through the air. The lightening screamed in the palm of Sayuri's hand, blasting through several branches that had curled up to block.

Sayuri grimaced, watching as blood leaked from her knuckles, the skin on her hand appeared red and warm. She ignored it and flung herself forward, reeling her attack back before bringing it in. The woman's yellow eyes reflected the bright light as she opened her mouth in a raging, high-pitched screech.

_KUCK-SPLUCK_

Chidori shredded the woman's torso apart into a swirling twist of vines, leaves, grass, and wood. Bits and pieces went flying as the forest seemed to almost shake with the force. Sayuri winced as the attack blasted right through her, vanishing as she was pitched forward. Down below, Mitsuru raced forward, skidding across the dirt on his knees, thankful for the black pads on them, as he caught Sayuri in his arms.

"You okay?" Mitsuru asked, breathing hard. Sayuri nodded, panting as well.

"That… Was awesome…" She managed. Mitsuru laughed, then helped Sayuri to her feet, struggling a bit himself before they were up. Sayuri stretched, then winced.

"Ow! Damn it… I think my wrist is broken." She noted, frowning down at it. Mitsuru frowned as well, but pulled out some bandages.

"Here." He wrapped the bandages around the wrist, Sayuri watching for a moment before looking away.

"All right… Now I know for sure."

"Know what?"

"I'm using that jutsu to kill Aoi."

"I can wait to see that." Mitsuru declared, nodding in agreement as Sayuri smirked, then approached the tree, which had shuddered by the attack before appearing deader than it already seemed. She frowned, then bent down, scooping up a fallen kunai.

"What're you doing?" Mitsuru asked. Sayuri slammed the kunai into the bottle, allowing a pile of dirt to fall out. She swung it into another bottle, rocks piling out of that one.

"These bottles have something in them, you said. If we find the right one, MAYBE we'll find out where the shogi board is." She replied. Mitsuru blinked, then nodded and took out a kunai, smashing a few bottles. After a while, piles of rocks, dirt, love letters, dolls, and other small trinkets littered the ground. One bottle remained, Sayuri noted, then reached out and smashed it.

A paper fluttered out and Mitsuru caught it, scanning it with a frown.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, looking at Sayuri, who took the paper and studied it. The picture imprinted on the old parchment was of a tree, large and blossoming with a standing beside the trunk of it, holding a carving knife toward the bark with a smile on her face. There were names etched into the tree. Sayuri sighed.

"It's another love letter," She concluded, tossing the paper, frowning as she turned, "Did we overlook something?" Mitsuru picked up the paper, looking at it, then looking at the tree curiously. He walked up to the trunk, then took out a kunai. Sayuri glanced at him at the sound of his kunai carving into the wood.

"What're you doing?" She asked, walking over to him. Mitsuru copied the names on the page, frowning.

"Just trying something out. I don't know if it'll work, but it's worth a try." He answered, then finished copying the names, studying it before sighing with a shrug. Sayuri paused, taking the paper back and studying it.

"It's a love letter. The girl signed her and her lover's names… Jeez, this is making my brain hurt." She muttered, rubbing the side of her head. Mitsuru stared at the paper, then at Sayuri, then sweat dropped. He averted his eyes, coughing awkwardly, his face turning a light pink.

"Uh, I'm not saying this because I like you or anything gross like that," He said, making Sayuri twitch and glare at him, "But… Maybe we're supposed to, like… Okay, seriously, please think about this first. I don't like you, that's gross, but maybe the one of this is to kiss or something stupid like that." The last part of his explanation was practically babbled into a run-on sentence. Sayuri glared, blushing pink as she clenched the paper in her fist.

"Gross! Look, I don't want to kiss you either, but… If it helps us pass the exams…" Her voice trailed as she clasped a hand over her mouth. Mitsuru scowled at her.

"Never mind then! Forget I suggested it! We can just wondering around for the rest of the 24 hour time limit we have to find _another_ shogi board and get our asses kicked by the remaining Genin out there!" He snapped. Sayuri clenched her fists, then slammed the paper at Mitsuru's chest, making him yelp.

"FINE! All right, we'll do it, but only so we can get that stupid board and pass the exams, got it? I don't like you like that at all! Got it?"

"Got it! And I don't like you either!" Mitsuru added angrily, throwing the paper down on the ground. Sayuri huffed, then frowned. Mitsuru frowned back at her. They stood there for a couple minutes, both trying to figure out what the hell they were doing before Sayuri spoke stiffly.

"Guys go first." She stated. Mitsuru blinked, then glared at her.

"You're just saying that so you don't really have to do anything! If you don't, it might not work, ya know!"

"All right, fine! Shut up already! We'll do it at the same time. On three, okay?" Sayuri demanded, holding up three fingers. Mitsuru nodded. They stared at each other for a moment, made faces, then closed their eyes.

"One. Two-"

"Count slower!" Mitsuru snapped.

"Shut up! Two." She stated in aggravation, wanting so badly to smack her teammate before they both leaned in.

"Three." There was slight hesitation before their lips touched lightly in a kiss, both reeling back after a couple seconds of holding.

"GROSS!" They both shouted at each other angrily.

"Oh, shut up, you don't even know how to kiss! You call that a kiss? I've seen dogs kiss better!" Sayuri accused angrily, trying to make the blush on her face seem more angry.

"You hypocrite! As if you know how to kiss! You've probably never kissed anyone before, except your parents!"

"LIAR!"

"JERK!"

"SHRIMP!"

"AGH!" Mitsuru shouted back and whipped around, folding his arms tightly over his chest while Sayuri did the same, looking in the other direction. No more than a couple seconds passed before a creaking sound followed. Sayuri and Mitsuru blinked and turned around to face the tree trunk, which had split right through the names and even into the ground, sending a crack between Sayuri and Mitsuru. They shared looks before peeking inside.

Sitting inside nestled amongst grass and leaves was a bamboo shogi board.

"Got it!" Sayuri announced and reached in, pulling it out with both hands. She carried it away from the tree, Mitsuru following, before placing it on the ground. She looked at Mitsuru.

"Cough up the pieces. Uh, literally." She added with a grimace, then looked away. Mitsuru nodded and reached a finger into his mouth aiming to touch the back of his throat. Seconds later, he hunched over and gagged up the pieces… Along with some of his previous lunch.

"Gross!" Sayuri accused and wiped at her mouth at the thought of having even kissed the boy. Mitsuru rolled his eyes and picked up the pieces, wiping them on his clothes before handing on to Sayuri, who hesitantly took it while making a face of disgust. Mitsuru went to place his piece, but Sayuri stopped him suddenly, her eyes wide.

"Mitsuru…"

"What now?"

"… I just remembered what Tonbo-sensei had told us at the beginning of these exams. We need a different person to set a piece down or the transportation won't work." She groaned and fell back on her rump, dropping her head in her hands. Mitsuru moaned in distress as well, smacking his forehead.

"Goddamn it… Fucking damn it! You'd think Uwasa would have known that!" He barked angrily and threw the shogi piece at the board. Sayuri frowned, leaning her chin on her palm.

"I know, right? Well… Now what? It'd be pointless to try it ourselves…"

"What about a shadow clone?"

"That wouldn't work. I'm sure the board will recognize the same prints…"

"Shit… What do we do? We need a third person to place the piece down." Mitsuru complained, averting his eyes with a little pout. Sayuri studied the board and looked the other way thoughtfully before her eyes landed on something a few feet away.

A type of arm that must have belonged to the plant woman above the tree. Sayuri's eyes widened slightly and she scrambled over to it, snatching it.

"I have an idea," She stated, opening the vine-like palm and placing a shogi piece in it while taking out some wire, attaching it to each finger, "Place your piece down, Mitsuru, and then I'll put mine down, then I'll use this to place the third piece. Technically, this arm did come from another person… A plant person." She added with a sweat drop. Mitsuru blinked, then nodded, fetching his piece and setting it down with a clack.

Sayuri set her piece down on the board before she brought the hand over the board. She pulled the strings and the vine-like fingers released the piece, dropping it into place before she set the arm down. Seconds went by before a cloud of blue smoke rose up, making Sayuri's eyes widen.

"It worked!" She announced. Mitsuru sighed with relief. Moments later, the smoke had engulfed them, leaving nothing, but the bamboo board behind.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Wowww… My brain hurts. lol. But this was a fun chapter to write with all the randomness of the traps and stuff. The next chapter will mark the end for the exams and will inform you of all those who had passed the second portion of the exams! Thank you very, very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	12. Chapter 12

**UUUUPDATE AND SUPER IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters created, except for the ones I already claimed as my own! (Will be listed again in the next arc)**

**A/N: Third POV~**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twelve: **Festival for Part Three! YOU NEED A DATE!**

The room where the first exam had taken place was now filling up with students. Tonbo stood beside the pedestal, frowning with his arms folded over his chest while his turquoise eyes scanned the room.

"I don't quite know what to say." He said at last. Beside him stood a very tall, slender woman with straight lilac hair to her waist with bangs hanging more to the left of her face, hiding her snow white eye. She dressed in a white shirt with bandages around her wrists, a black clothe tying around her torso and just under her breasts with loose ends that almost touched the floor. A pair of white pants with a black skirt to her knees in a billowy fashion and black high heels finished off her attire. She was smiling widely, despite the grim situation.

"Yes. It's too bad, hm, Tonbo? I could tell by the way you were on edge in here, watching these Genin fall like flies!" She pointed out cheerily as she clasped her hands together in front of her. Tonbo frowned.

"Your smiley disposition is beginning to aggravate me. From the looks of it, it seems these are all the teams that have passed. It's your turn to inform them." He answered dully, averting his eyes. The woman laughed and jumped up, landing on the pedestal and making Tonbo reel back in annoyance.

"ATTENTION, GENIN!" The woman roared, beaming happily even as her voice shook the room, startling everyone and causing them to whip around and stare. The woman smiled, waving dramatically at them as one of her legs perked up.

"Hiii, everyone! My name is Tsuko! I will be the proctor for the final part of the exams and wow! There sure are a lot of you little ones out there! How cute! I've always wanted kids of my own-"

"Tsuko, the exams." Tonbo deadpanned, glaring up at her. Tsuko blinked, then laughed, waving her hand while she put the other on her face to hide an invisible blush.

"Sorry about that! Anyway! The third portion of the exams begins next week, giving you all time to recuperate from the horrors inside that dome! Within that week, Getsugakure will be having a huge super awesome festival that you guys get to attend to! It's gonna be so fun! Oh… Yea, the information for the third portion of the exam is being withheld until the day, so yea! Knock yourselves out, children!" She back flipped, landing off the podium while the Genin started yelling and talking amongst themselves, some demanding aloud why they could know the third exam now.

"Tsuko, go inform the sensei as well as the parental units of the death." Tonbo stated, making Tsuko beam and nod. Tonbo turned to the face the Genin, his eyes locking on Sayuri and Mitsuru, who were both sitting on a desk and muttering to themselves. He slowly approached them, making them both jerk their heads up.

"Excuse me, you're the team that lost a member, am I correct?" Tonbo asked, taking out a notepad and pen. Sayuri crinkled up her nose in distaste, frowning at the Jounin while Mitsuru sighed quietly and gave a nod in response. Tonbo wrote something down, then glanced up.

"His name was Hyuuga Uwasa, right?" He asked. Sayuri and Mitsuru nodded, but said nothing more as Tonbo wrote the name down along with a few other things. After asking questions about Uwasa's death as well as the last location of his corpse, Tonbo let them go after the rest of the Genin had left.

"Do you think they'll find his body?" Mitsuru asked. Sayuri nodded, folding her arms over her chest.

"They have to. We left it in a safe place and I know Ketsuraku and his team would never mess with it." She answered. Mitsuru nodded, then averted his eyes.

"Sayuri?"

"Hm?"

"We're almost Chuunin. One more round."

"Right… Stay pumped a bit longer, shrimp." Sayuri replied with a light smirk, making Mitsuru blink, twitch, then blush lightly before glaring at her. They walked down the long hallway, their shoes scuffing the ground before they walked into a round lobby room just beyond the hall to the cliff side.

"Mom! Dad!" Sayuri exclaimed and rushed as soon as she saw her parents standing by a brochure rack. Sakumo had also joined them, having arrived earlier in the day. Kotori smiled as best she could, but a painful tug was nagging at her. The news of Sayuri's teammate, Uwasa, being dead hit her pretty hard.

She'd known Uwasa pretty well as the boy commonly hung around. He seemed a calm and collected sometimes, freaking out only when Sayuri and Mitsuru argued or when Kotori poked fun at him with perverted comments.

She hugged Sayuri tightly, Kakashi giving his daughter a pat on the head while Sakumo tried his best to give at least a small smile.

"I'm so glad you're all right." Kotori murmured to Sayuri, who tensed up slightly before relaxing as Kakashi bent down to kiss her forehead, giving her a one-eyed smile.

Mitsuru sighed with relief when he saw his mother waiting for him just across from the Hatake family. He did his best to hold in any feelings before he threw his arms around his mother's neck, holding onto her. Ruriko hugged him close, squeezing her eyes shut as she held onto him. Mitsuru clenched his fists over some of her jacket, shutting his eyes and sighing quietly.

"Mom?"

"I know…"

"I'm sorry… I feel like crap… And I'm hungry, tired…" His voice trailed as he buried his face against her. Ruriko smiled faintly.

"It's all right, Mitsuru… Your dad and I got a good hotel room for all of us and we can have a big dinner tonight, the six of us." She explained, standing up straight and smiling down at him. Mitsuru tried to smile back, but he looked much too tired. Ruriko nodded and looked up as Tonbo came running into the lobby.

"It's gone!" He shouted. Sayuri and Mitsuru both whipped around, staring at Tonbo in disbelief.

"What?" They demanded in unison. Tonbo frowned as several Getsugakure Jounin came up behind him as well, breathing hard and looking very grim.

"What do you mean you can't find the body?" Kotori asked, putting her hands on her hips while Kakashi pocketed his book to frown behind his mask at the Jounin. Ruriko twitched in annoyance, but managed to hold in any shouts as she glared at the Jounin, waiting for an answer. Tonbo shifted, frowning.

"We checked the place where your children said the body was left, but there was nothing there. Only battle markings and a reeking odor, so it was once lying there. We checked the surrounding area and I also sent out a summoning to search the entire dome, but there was no sign of the body. The only assumptions we can make is that someone took the body." He explained. Mitsuru paled, looking utterly confused. Sayuri twitched, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth.

"Why would someone take his body? That's stupid! Are you sure you checked in the right spot?" She demanded angrily, Sakumo putting a hand on her shoulder with a frown.

"Sayuri, yelling isn't going to help." He tried, but Sayuri just stomped her foot angrily.

"What kind of person steals a Genin's body?" Kakashi questioned in confusion, tilting his head.

"That's sick." Kotori spat in disgust, folding her arms tightly over her chest. Ruriko frowned, placing a fist on her hip.

"Are there any blood streaks? Like, maybe it was dragged away or…?" Her voice trailed and Mitsuru winced. He didn't want to think about someone dragging his teammate's body anywhere! He just shrank down a bit as Tonbo glanced at Ruriko with slightly narrowed eyes.

"No streaks… The only remains were small bits of flesh, a splattered puddle of blood, and the stench."

"Are there any marks on the flesh? Like, nail marks, teeth marks-"

"Why would someone eat a rotting body?" Sayuri cried, covering her ears and flinching in disgust at the thought. Mitsuru shifted uncomfortably, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Sayuri's right! That's gross! When we were trying to find a shogi board and someone possessed Uwasa's body, I took a bite out of him, you know, just so he'd stop attacking Sayuri and the taste was terrible! Just thinking about it makes me sick." He mumbled, holding his arms over his stomach and shuddering. Ruriko blinked, then averted her eyes, reaching up to nibble on the end of her thumb thoughtfully.

"I don't see why anyone would go after his body in the first place." Tonbo muttered.

"Didn't you know the kid's name?" Kakashi asked in disbelief, cocking a brow at Tonbo, who just stared at him blankly. Kotori rolled her eyes and frowned.

"Hyuuga. Hyuuga Uwasa. He's from a powerful clan in Konohagakure. Maybe that had something to do with it, I don't know… Weren't there any prints left behind? Anything that might have hinted toward the body's whereabouts?" She questioned curiously, to which Tonbo paused to think before glancing up with a frown.

"Well… There was one thing…" He murmured. Ruriko's eyes flicked up to attention. Kotori frowned, dropping her arms and listening carefully while Kakashi's visible eye narrowed considerably. Tonbo waited a second, debating whether to answer or not before he shut his eyes and stood up straight, gesturing a hand out as if to shrug the one thing off.

"We found a small thread at the doorway, hanging on a splinter… It looks like one of the bits from duct tape, but it doesn't tell us anything." He sighed. Ruriko took her chin with her thumb and forefinger thoughtfully, averting her eyes. Mitsuru glanced at her, blinking and opening his mouth to speak, but Kotori spoke first.

"What? If you have evidence, don't stand around wasting time! Examine the thread and see if you can find anything on it. Check the blood." Kotori commanded. Tonbo blinked, paused for a second, then nodded and looked back at the Jounin behind him, barking out orders. Mitsuru turned to his mother as they headed out of the academy building, their shoes crunching on the dirt outside.

"Mom, what's up?" He asked as they walked. Ruriko shrugged, frowning a bit.

"It's bothering me. Someone taking Uwasa's body like that, but I don't want to talk to you about it." She muttered. Mitsuru blinked, then frowned and caught his mother's wrists, jerking her to a halt. Ruriko whipped around to glare at him, a fist clenched, but she stopped when she saw Mitsuru's determined expression.

"Mom. I know you're probably just being protective, thanks, it's nice, but Uwasa was my friend and my teammate. I want to find out what happened to his body and I want to rip the person to shreds." Mitsuru stated firmly, glaring at his mother now. Ruriko stared back at him in disbelief, her arms going slack.

_Jeez… I've never seen that look on his face before… He really wants to find out what happened to Uwasa… Duh, of course. Uwasa was a good kid. He came over a couple times and even helped set the table for dinner, giving me time to fix myself up for dinner… He really was a great kid and didn't deserve to die. Mitsuru knows that and even if he's a Genin he's going to push past the limits to get revenge. I don't promote revenge, hell no, not after seeing the results in Sasuke… But…_

"All right," Ruriko said softly, putting a hand on Mitsuru's shoulder, "We'll figure it out together. Come on. Your siblings and father are waiting for you back at the hotel."

"… Kay… I love you, mom." Mitsuru added with a light smile, hugging his mom around the waist, making her laugh and pat him on the head.

"I love you too, Mitsuru… I'm glad you're all right."

"Me too…"

**Hotel 89, A Fancy Hotel Across the Village**

"Here?" Shisui asked, glancing up at the hotel with a scrunched up nose of distaste. His father was obvious it wasn't even funny, picking out the most expensive hotel he could just so he could leave a good impression. Nakusu tilted his head at him, then looked back up at the hotel with his single eye, thoughtfully at first before his eyebrow tilted up.

"I can't." He stated. Shisui blinked, lowering the brochure to look at his little brother in surprise.

"What'd you mean you can't? You didn't break your leg." He pouted, tilting his head to look at Nakusu, who shifted away a couple centimeters before shrugging.

"He is going to be angry, I know it…" He murmured. Shisui huffed, folding his arms over his chest and shifting his weight to the left.

"No way! He shouldn't be angry! He should be thankful you're alive! At least you escaped with wounded hands and no eye. Nakusu, the guy on Mitsuru's team…" His voice trailed off as he lowered his arms to his sides, his eyes dropping. Nakusu stiffened at the thought, wincing slightly.

Everyone knew it now. Hyuuga Uwasa was dead, killed by a Kumogakure ninja. He never thought he'd heard a woman sob so terribly as Lady Hinata when she received the news. He'd been standing only a couple feet away from the lounge where the Jounin had taken Lady Hinata and Lord Triedge to inform them of their son's death. Uwasa's little sister, Tori, didn't understand at all, asking repeatedly what happened to Uwasa. Uwasa's two older brothers, Hayai and Tsumito, just stood in utter silence.

Nakusu shook his head at the thought. He really didn't want to relieve Lady Hinata's cries and whimpers at losing a second child.

"Let's just go." Shisui said, nodding to his brother before leading the way inside. He had a feeling, though, in the pit of his stomach that their father already knew Nakusu's condition. Something in the back of his mind told him so. He walked to the room that their father was staying in, knocking quietly before stepping in. He peered inside, amazed at the elaborate furniture and the large window that looked out over Getsugakure and its people.

Shisui walked in, Nakusu next and closing the door.

"Wow, dad got a good place." He whistled, peering around. Nakusu rolled his eye.

"Shisui, do not be immature… You should not be surprised either." He added under his breath, walking up beside Shisui to look out the window. They both looked outside, jumping when the door behind them opened moments after. They whipped around as Sasuke walked in.

He was wearing his average Jounin vest over a navy turtleneck, black pants with white diamonds trailing down the sides and a pair of ninja bots complete with no heels and metal shin guards that matched a pair of new armor on his forearms.

He looked up, stopping for a second as if he was surprised they got there first. Shisui looked away awkwardly and Nakusu stood still for a moment before elbowing Shisui quickly. Shisui yelped, glared at him, then looked at Sasuke.

"Uh, sorry we're late?" He offered. Sasuke's eyes looked tired now, the lids hanging low.

"Late. 'Sorry we're late'?" He echoed dully and moved forward swiftly, practically gliding before he easily put an arm around both his sons, jerking them close. Shisui blinked in shock before relaxing comfortably with a faint smile. Nakusu felt a flood of fear run through him at first before he realized who was actually hugging him.

"Dad, are you drunk?" Shisui asked first. Sasuke laughed faintly, then smiled, pulling back to examine them both closely.

"No. I'm just really glad you guys are alive… I heard about Uwasa from Ruriko earlier and I was alarmed…" He murmured, averting his eyes. Shisui grimaced, lowering his eyes.

"Yea. You weren't near the room with Lady Hinata." He pointed out. Sasuke frowned, nodding.

"I'm glad I wasn't. I heard she fainted after a while… She's in the hospital with her husband and children. They're staying for the rest of the exam, though. The whereabouts of Uwasa's body has got the Hyuuga Clan on edge." He explained.

"The body?" Nakusu repeated with a frown.

"Ruriko said that when they returned to the place where his body was left, it was completely missing. They only found blood and a thread from duct tape." Sasuke explained with a deep frown of concern. Shisui blinked and tried to think hard as to what it meant.

Nakusu lowered his eye for a split second before it shot back up with realization.

_Duct tape…?_ He thought and an image of Kimiko's older brother, Kazuhiko, flashed into his mind, particularly the strips of silver duct tape stuck to the boy's loose fitting black shorts and shabby boots. He narrowed his eye thoughtfully.

_That guy… Could he have done it? But the question is why? What motive would he have to kill Uwasa? Am I just accusing the wrong person?_ He wondered, watching as Sasuke changed the subject and offered to take them out for dinner and making Shisui jump for joy.

_Did that Amegakure ninja kill Hyuuga Uwasa?_

**Stars Hotel, Near the East Gate to Getsugakure**

"Excellent work on passing the second portion of the exams… Master Nozomu said you three were beyond Genin rank already." Nori murmured in a monotone voice, her pink eyes glowing past her lilac hair. Kimiko beamed, brushing her hand over the slowly loosening bandages over her right eye.

"And the best part is that I got a new power! These Getsugakure ninja, and all the other ones, won't stand a chance against my Sharingan!" She cheered joyously, pumping her fist up and down. Arisu, who was slowly removing the bandages on her sister's eye, rolled her eyes in aggravation.

"This has to be arousing suspicions. We're going to be so great in the third portion of the exams that we'll give ourselves away. One of us needs to purposely fail." She stated with a nod. Nori turned her head around, her face turning toward Kazuhiko, who was sitting on the balcony railing with his back toward the wall. He turned his head to face her with a deadpan stare.

"I was going to give up before even starting…" He drawled, making Arisu twitch.

"You-You can't! Your health is just fine while Kimiko still needs to recover from the surgery! She'll back out while you fight."

"NOOOO! I WANNA FIGHT!" Kimiko wailed in a high-pitched voice, even making Nori clasp a hand over her ear. Arisu glared at Kimiko, opening her mouth to argue, but Kazuhiko cut her off by hopping off the railing and walking inside toward the door.

"Kimiko can fight. I quit these stupid exams… I didn't even want to be a ninja in the first place." He muttered. Nori's eyes went from pink to orange to bright blue as Kazuhiko shut the door. She turned toward the sisters, watching as the bandages fell away from Kimiko's right eye. Replacing the eye underneath was a glowing red Sharingan with three black comma-like symbols racing around the small pupil. Nori's eyes drooped, as if uninterested while Kimiko bragged and ranted about how she was going to win.

Arisu rolled her eyes, packing up her medical supplies while scolding Kimiko rather obnoxiously herself.

Nori excused herself silently, walking out into the hallway, moving swiftly with a flat expression on her face while her eyes remained bright blue. She could easily follow Kazuhiko's chakra until she found herself staring at said boy. He was sitting on the edge of a fence that looked into the swampy area of Getsugakure, his expression dull and tired.

Nori approached him, but stopped when Kazuhiko sighed.

"Please, don't even bother. You can't make good conversation at all." He muttered, resting his hands on the fence. Nori tilted her head.

"Why do you say that?" She asked, her voice almost robotic without any emotion.

"You sound like a doll, all blank and dead. It's weird… Besides, I don't have anything I want to talk about."

"… You said you did not want to be a shinobi."

"So what?"

"What do you want to be?" Nori asked softly, her voice almost morphing completely into a warmer, more motherly tone. Kazuhiko straightened up on the fence, peering over his shoulder dully.

"… A good guy." He replied, then looked back into the swamp. Nori's bright blue eyes slowly darkened to deep, bloody red, darkening even more to almost black.

_Good…? Guy…?_

**NEXT DAY**

"This thing is stupid." Mitsuru muttered as he struggled to the tie navy obi shut over his loose fitting black hakama that dawned icy blue flame-like patterns, running upwards. He glared down at the tightly tied obi before looking up at his reflection. He frowned slowly.

_This is cool, but at the same time… It's depressing. Uwasa's the one who pointed this out to me and Shisui made me buy it… Ugh, no! What am I thinking? This is a festival! I have to try and get in a good mood!_ He thought with a confident nod and snatched up an icy blue ribbon as his mother ordered him to pull his hair back into a loose ponytail. He tied it in a loose bow and glanced up as Haruke came around the corner of the bamboo screen.

He was revealed to be wearing a black dress shirt with a stand up collar around his neck and matching pants, the Uchiha symbol on the back of the shirt while the pants were designed with silver lightening streaks. His hair was still unbrushed and probably would never be brushed. In his hand, he was carrying a small voodoo doll and the resemblance of Uwasa was uncanny. Mitsuru's eyes widened. Haruke glanced at him almost uncaringly before holding the doll to his chest.

"Shut up, Mitsuru. Just cuz he was your teammate didn't mean I didn't like him either… He always smacked you and yelled at Sayuri." He added with a wicked smirk, earning a twitchy eyed glare from Mitsuru. Haruke stuck his tongue out and practically raced from the room as if he just came in to taunt his older brother. Mitsuru scowled and walked from behind the bamboo screen to find Manabu and Miwa wearing matching orchid yukata with white clouds bordering the bottom while white trim finished it off. Their hair was brushed and they wore matching white dove pins in their hair.

"Where's mom?" Mitsuru asked, making them look up from a doll they were holding between them. The doll was obviously made by Haruke for them, but it seemed to be its own doll, looking nothing like anyone he knew. Miwa beamed, letting go of the doll and making Manabu stumble.

"Mama's with daddy! Well, last I checked… They're probably doing icky things." She pouted now, scrunching up her nose in distaste. Manabu blushed lightly, twiddling his fingers he averted his eyes.

"Miwa, don't say that." He mumbled, earning a little harrumph from Miwa before she went to grab the doll away from Manabu, who ducked out of the way. Mitsuru rolled his eyes, walking away to find his parents in the hotel room. He knew Haruke gave the twins a doll for a reason.

He walked into the living room to find his mother standing near a large rectangular window, holding a book in her hand and a pen hanging past her deep purple painted lips. She wore a magenta kimono with wrist length sleeves while the furi billowed just a foot off the ground, the obi a dark violet that tied in a loose, large bow in the back. The kimono was designed with pink, white, and purple flowers gliding across it. She wore simple white slippers with magenta soles.

Her ankle-length black hair was tied up into a bun, the hair curled and flowing down her back with a magenta ribbon tied in a bow at the back of the bun.

She'd even taken to wearing a lilac eye shadow with black eyeliner flicking off the sides of her eyes. Glitter was obviously spilled on her skin, sparkling in the sunset that shown through the window.

Mitsuru stared at her. He hardly recognized her! She was always dressed in the black jacket that hid her dark purple tube top and shorts with fish netting bottoms. Even her tall boots hid her thin slender legs.

"Mom?" He asked, tilting his head. Ruriko jumped a little and glanced over, smiling as she snapped her book shut, taking the pen from between her lips.

"Mitsuru! You look so cute! You'll definitely impress a few girls." She added with a laugh, making Mitsuru blush red.

"Oh, be quiet… Wow, I've never seen you so dressed up before, mom! You look really pretty." He added. Ruriko blinked, glanced down at herself, then back up with a light smile.

"Oh yea. Haven't dressed this fancy since my wedding. Eek, I almost didn't think this thing would fit me when I bought it! I just figured I outta look good since your dad's going to too." She muttered and held her book up over the lower half of her face, hiding her blush. Mitsuru smiled.

"That's awesome. Are you going to hang out with the other sensei too? Roku-sensei mentioned wanting to hang out with you this morning at breakfast." He added under his breath. He liked Roku, really he did. Who wouldn't like him? Even so, Mitsuru got the weirdest feeling that Roku was crushing on his mom sometimes.

"Are you guys ready to go? The festival's already started by the sounds of the music." Itachi's voice said from the doorway. Ruriko jumped and looked around, Mitsuru following her eyes. Itachi stood in the doorway dressed in a simple black kimono with the Uchiha symbol on the back, the hakama of his outfit navy blue and to his ankles, where straw sandals finished off his attire.

"Uh, yea," Ruriko said at last, smiling, "Let me just get the twins and we're outta here."

"Hey," Mitsuru spoke up, "Is it alright if I leave now? I wanted to go find Sayuri and hang out."

"You mean go on a date?" Haruke mocked as he came into the room with the twins, who giggled and made Mitsuru's face turn red. Mitsuru twitched in aggravation, whipping around to start an argument, but Itachi cut them off.

"Mitsuru, you may go. Haruke, don't try and start fights with him, especially not in the clothes you're dressed in. Way too expensive to ruin." He added, making Haruke huff and Mitsuru sigh with relief before nodding and leaving.

Mitsuru hurried down the stairs of the hotel, trying to squeeze past the many people who flooded into the streets as the festival was starting. Music echoed down the streets, soothing and warm for a nice summer's evening. Colorful lanterns hung from lively shops, the heavy scent of sweets and food wavering in every direction. The voices of some of the singers had brought in large crowds, thankfully, giving Mitsuru a chance to bolt into the streets.

He walked down the street, frowning in annoyance as his straw sandals repeatedly slipped off his feet. He glanced toward a shop, looked away, then glanced back and almost smacked into someone. He'd found Sayuri and her family sitting at a large restaurant, sharing a good dinner.

Sayuri herself was dressed in a beautiful bright yellow yukata with wave patterns ranging from ocean blue to pale blue to sky blue with white trims. The obi on her waist was a contrasting green with two thin blue lines. Her normally wild short silver hair was flattened, save for the braided bit. Even without make up on her face, she was very cute and it made Mitsuru wince in spite of himself.

Sitting across from her was her mother, Kotori, dressed in a rich purple kimono designed with detailed white lilies coming from the bottom and spreading out while her obi matched her kimono with bright blue rims and blue outlines of lilies. The furi of her kimono hung all the way to the floor. Her hair was held up by two chopsticks with gems hanging from gold strings tied to each end while her lips were painted red.

Next to Kotori was Sayuri's twin brother, Sakumo, wearing a dark maroon yukata with crème cranes resting around the bottom, matching the obi around his waist. His father, Kakashi, wore a dark green kimono with a medium green obi, his mask still on and probably not coming off until he was in bed that night, which sort of peeved Mitsuru off, but didn't stop him from running over to the family.

"Wow, Sayuri! You actually look like a girl!" Mitsuru exclaimed. Sayuri twitched, her hand twitching and accidentally flinging her chopsticks up into the roof.

"What did you say?" She demanded. Kakashi sweat dropped.

"You have such a way with women, Mitsuru." He sighed sarcastically, adjusting his obi uncomfortably. Kotori cocked a brow, slurping a noodle up past her red lips.

"He better not complain about being single… Sakumo, don't laugh!" She scolded, but couldn't keep a smile off her face as Sakumo chuckled behind his hand.

"Come on," Mitsuru exclaimed, thrusting a finger down the street, "Let's go find the others and hang out! My mom didn't give me a curfew." Sayuri's eyes twinkled excitedly and she looked at her parents eagerly, fists clenched on the table. Kakashi sighed, shrugging.

"Why not? But you have a curfew… Sometime around midnight or I'll come looking for you." He added with a nod. Kotori smirked with agreement.

"I second that," She paused, watching Sayuri leap up and run down the street with Mitsuru, probably to cause mass chaos before she looked at Kakashi, "No curfew for Mitsuru? Sounds about right for someone like Ruriko." Kakashi laughed lightly, his eye following Sayuri before the crowded swallowed her and Mitsuru.

They scurried down the street, pausing to play a shuriken throwing game. Mitsuru flung a shuriken, hitting the target a couple times, Sayuri winning by a single throw, smirking in Mitsuru's direction. Mitsuru rolled his eyes.

"Lucky throw." He retorted, his arms folded.

"You're such a sore loser." Sayuri snickered, making Mitsuru blush lightly. There was some laughter and the two Genin peeked over to find Lei, utterly failing at the shuriken challenge. He wore a formal looking samue (robe worn by monks) dyed a deep indigo, looking pretty average. Beside him stood Zakuro, dressed in a medium green yukata tied shut with a chocolate obi, clogs adoring his feet. On his other side was Yuko wearing a red furisode kimono with fire designs on the bottom, a dragon with phoenix wings on the back. She had a black haori-himo around her waist and straw zori on her feet.

"Wow, Yuko, you look really cute." Mitsuru blurted, earning a smack upside the head from Sayuri, who beamed at the other Genin.

"You guys look great! Say, Lei, did Old man Yasashisa give you that samue?" Sayuri questioned, studying the rather simple attire. Lei sighed, waving the baggy sleeve in his face as if the topic bored him. He seemed used to people mentioning his caretaker, a blind guru living just outside the limits of Konohagakure.

"Yea, he thought it made me look cute, which I think is pretty redundant. He's blind," He added under his breath, but beamed anyway, jabbing a finger at Sayuri, "My, my, my! Such a pretty kimono for such a pretty girl, Sayuri! You couldn't possibly be taken by little Mitsuru here!"

"Shut up, Lei." Mitsuru deadpanned, his eye twitching slightly. Sayuri grinned, throwing her hand back into Mitsuru's face to dismiss him, making the Uchiha protest angrily.

"Did you guys play the game?" She asked. Lei beamed, nodding as he spread his arms out dramatically.

"Of course! And look what I got you." He added and removed a gold beaded necklace with a round orange gem hanging from it. Sayuri's eyes widened as she cupped the necklace in her hands.

"Holy crap, Lei! Where did you get this?" She asked, amazed. Mitsuru rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest.

"He probably stole it." He muttered. Yuko sweat dropped, giving a weak smile.

"Errr…" Her voice trailed as if she knew something, but decided against speaking and merely averted her eyes to the sky while Zakuro just snorted, shaking his head. Sayuri just gazed at it in surprise while Lei blew on his knuckles before rubbing them on his samue as if he had done a good job in distracting. Mitsuru huffed. Yuko glanced at Mitsuru, back, then again before wincing, raising a finger.

"Mitsuru-"

"KYAAAA! MITSURUUU!"

"Shit." Mitsuru cursed, but had no time to flee as Shisui practically tackled him from behind in a choking hug. Mitsuru flailed a little, yelping and coughing as Shisui hugged him tightly around the neck, snuggling against his cheek. Sayuri laughed out loud, waving a finger at Mitsuru, who flashed her a glare before returning to his gagging.

"Aw, how cute." Lei cooed, clasping his hands together. Zakuro smacked his forehead, rubbing his temples as he pretended not to know them while Yuko sweat dropped with a weak smile.

"Shisui's behind you." She finished her sentence from before. Coming up behind Shisui were his teammates, Uchiha Haruhi and Hyogo Riko. Haruhi wore a dark violet yukata with a black kimono underneath, a copy of the Sharingan sewed into the back while zori finished off his attire. The stitches in the left side of his mouth still remained as a reminder of the exam portion prior. Riko wore a silver yukata with yellow bamboo sticks pointing diagonally, a few green lizards on top of them while her obi was green, her hair still in hoops and her lips painted pink.

"Shisui, lay off," Haruhi muttered, shutting his dark eyes as he folded his arms over his chest, "You're going to crush his windpipe."

"Oh well, guess that means he can't whine anymore." Riko sighed dramatically as if the news were terrible before laughing. Shisui finally let go… Slightly, still holding onto one of Mitsuru's arms.

"You're all wearing such cute outfits! I knew shopping was the best thing to do!" He sang happily, giving his head a tilt. If anything, one could easily mistake Shisui for a female in the kimono he was dressed in.

Obviously very, super expensive, the kimono was made of pure white silk with gold threads sewn in to create a beautiful dusty pattern with random curled swirls of black that matched the thick, smooth obi around his waist tied into an elaborate knot in the back with the ends almost touching the floor. His bright blue hair was tied up into a loose bun with black chopsticks that matched his sandal high heels. It was also obvious that he was wearing gold lip-gloss that was scented of oranges.

"Wow," Sayuri murmured, "That's a really nice kimono, Shisui…"

"It looks super expensive." Yuko added, touching one of the long sleeves gently, almost afraid she'd rip it. Riko beamed, patting Shisui gently on the shoulder.

"I helped him pick it out! It cost well over 85,000 ryo!" She added confidently as she put her fists on her hips and nodded. All the Genin's jaws dropped as they stared at Shisui, who just smiled obliviously.

"What?" He asked at last.

"How rich is your dad?" Zakuro demanded.

"Why do you care? You'd just buy porn with it." Lei retorted, getting elbowed in the gut, making Yuko smack her forehead and blush with embarrassment.

"That is… A lot of money…" Sayuri managed, holding the side of her head while her eyes stared wide-eyed at the kimono. She was still having trouble processing all the money in her head. Mitsuru glared at Shisui's innocent look before rolling his eyes.

"Show off." He muttered. He had to admit, though, Shisui's kimono was gorgeous, even for a guy. He had a strong feeling that wasn't even a male kimono in the first place!

"Ohhh! Speaking of which," Shisui sang as he removed some money from his sleeve, making everyone's eyes pop out comically, "I have money so the girls can go to the hot springs, boys too! We'll get the mixed bath section and we can sit around until the fireworks go off! It'll be so cute! You have to try and bring a date, though!"

"Whaaat?"

"Yup. And if you guys try to come to this, while also mentioning it to the other Genin, I'll even give you some of the money." Shisui added with a playful wink, putting an arm around Mitsuru's neck and making him yelp. Everyone shared looks.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: ALL RIGHT! This part is very, very important! I will now be needing present pairings for all the OCs involved with the Chuunin Exams. You may pair yours with another OC OR you may pair them with another OC. Now, that last one is really fun to do, but it takes some getting to know others. For example, if I wanted to pair Sayuri and Mitsuru, I would have to consult with the creator of Sayuri before even thinking about if. If you're too shy or busy to speak with the creator of an OC that you want to pair yours with, I will be glad to message both creators. If you wish to pair yours with my OCs, that'd be great, however, I hope there are no girls crushing on Shisui… 8D If an OC is taken, I will inform you of it immediately and first come, first serve is also a rule. Anyway! I need you to message me as soon as you finish this chapter because if I don't get these pairings soon, I will take the liberty of pairing characters, by using compatibility, of course. Well, I think that's about it… Thank you very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	13. Chapter 13

**YES! UPDATE! WIN!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters introduced within this fan fiction, save for the ones I already claimed as my own, also including Fumichi Ecchio. O:**

**A/N: THIRD POV, probably gonna stay like that, so… Yup!**

****

Chapter Thirteen: **Trying To Get A Date! Obliviously Obvious?**

"This is ridiculous," Mitsuru muttered as he sat with Sayuri at a small dango shop, "Why would he even suggest dating? It's not like he's gonna find a date himself." This earned him an elbow in the ribs from Sayuri, who huffed as she placed a skewer on the plate in front of her.

"Don't be such a jerk! Shisui's paying for us to go into the hot springs!" She stated sternly, frowning at him. Mitsuru rubbed his ribs, rolling his eyes.

"See? He even has to pay to get people to hang out with him."

"Mitsuru!" Sayuri protested angrily. Mitsuru sweat dropped, sticking a dango in his mouth and averting his eyes awkwardly. He hadn't meant to say that out loud nor for it to come out so rudely. The two sat in silence for a while before Mitsuru spoke up.

"So, who're you asking?" He asked. Sayuri blinked, then looked the other way, blushing lightly.

"Dunno yet… Heck, Zakuro asked Yuko right after Shisui had left and I heard Subaru asked Kigeki, who totally agreed on it. I bet you 100 ryo Yuriye's going to ask Nakusu…"

"Ask Nakusu what?" A voice asked and Sayuri and Mitsuru whipped around to find Nakusu leaning on a post in the opening in the shop. He was dressed in a simple midnight blue hakama with a loosely tied black obi and a midnight teal kimono top. Simple white circles were sewn into the chest area, matching the trims. His father had told him not to wear his headband, revealing a simple white gauze over his right eye socket, strings keeping it on and hooked over his ears.

"You actually came here?" Mitsuru asked dryly. Nakusu pushed off the post, dropping his arms limply to his sides as he sighed in exasperation.

"My father forced me to. If I had a choice, I would be back at the hotel, sleeping." He responded dully.

"Doesn't shock me." Sayuri deadpanned before rolling her eyes.

"Well, then, go find Yuriye," Mitsuru replied, making Nakusu cock a brow curiously, "She wants to ask you something."

"Ask me something? Like what?"

"Just go find her!" Sayuri announced, thrusting a finger away. Nakusu sighed, but obeyed, muttering under his breath.

"Just so you two can be alone." He drawled before walking away. Sayuri and Mitsuru both lit up pink and looked back at their dango, the same embarrassed scowl on their faces. Meanwhile, Nakusu walked down the street, his ninja shoes scuffing the dirt. He was forced to wear the attire, forced to take off his headband, but there was no way in hell his father was forcing him to remove his shoes for the painful straw zori.

Nakusu scanned the crowds, trying to pick out where his teammate would be. He kept walking until a familiar smell wavered up his nose and he realized now on what he wanted to spend his money on. He walked into a shop, ordering tsukudani and taking a seat. Not long had he started to eat, when he saw Yuriye and Yuuma moving toward the shop.

Yuuma was wearing a white yukata designed with black geometric patterns that matched the obi around his waist. Yuriye was adorned in a pale pink kimono with darker pink roses splayed across the front, going up her back and arms while the sleeves ended to her feet due to her height, her obi bright orange.

For some reason, Nakusu felt his face grow a slight pink before he closed his eye and huffed, more to himself, dipping his chopsticks into his food as his teammates found him through the crowd.

"Nakusu! Have you talked to Shisui lately?" Yuriye asked eagerly with a smile, her light green eyes twinkling. Nakusu glanced up, frowning.

"No, not since I left the hotel… He has not gotten into trouble, has he?" He asked. Yuriye smiled as she took a seat across from him, Yuuma just obediently following.

"No, not yet… Uh, he's actually doing something really sweet. He's paying for all the Genin to go to the hot springs, just on the edge of the village near where the fireworks are going to go off tonight and… Well…" Her voice trailed as her cheeks went pink, her eyes dropping to the table. Yuuma raised an eyebrow and gave Yuriye a little poke in the ribs, making her straighten back up.

"Well, you see, he said that… To come, we have to, er, uh, bring a date… And well, I was just wondering, if-uhm, if it's not any trouble…" She was stuttering and mentally cursed herself for it, feeling her face grow hotter by the second. Nakusu looked at her with a dull expression, waiting for her to continue, which only made her even more nervous. Yuuma sighed and rested his face against his palm flatly, drumming his fingers on the table.

This entire thing was a waste of time, he had concluded as soon as his aunt Kotori had forced him to come to the festival.

"Yuriye." Yuuma stated impatiently. Yuriye blushed even more, biting into her lip before shutting her eyes tightly, her hands folded in her lap.

"Nakusu, will you please be my date to the hot springs?" She blurted after Yuuma had once again struck her ribs with his pinkie finger. Yuriye gulped and flashed Yuuma a pleading 'why did you do that?' look. Nakusu blinked, then averted his eyes, lowering his chopsticks into his empty bowl.

Should he go with her? She seemed very concerned for him on all of their missions, and she was desperate to help him after the attack during the last portion of the exams. Not to mention, she looked absolutely beautiful in her kimono. Nakusu blushed lightly at the thought, his eye twitching in annoyance before he closed his eye and turned his face toward Yuriye, who was looking a bit downhearted, probably expecting him to say no.

"Yes." He answered. Yuriye blinked and looked up in surprise before beaming.

"Really? O-Okay!" She managed to exclaim.

"Would you like me to buy you anything to eat?" Nakusu offered. Yuriye smiled lightly and nodded. Yuuma sighed, rising to his feet, nodding to them both before departing, heading down the street.

Down the street and a couple turns away, Kangoku chuckled as he forked a nice thick steak on a fork, biting down on a piece and ripping it off, chewing it up. He wore a simple crème yukata with baggy matching shorts, chocolate brown swirls like coffee around it with a matching obi. Hachi was curled up around his neck and hanging like a scarf. Noroi watched with a twitching, disgusted expression. He wore a solid colored light green hakama with a navy blue top, a black leather strap holding the hakama up.

"G-Gross. You know, those-those things are entirely clean." He mumbled, earning an eye roll from Kangoku as he swallowed, waving his fork at Noroi, who yelped and sweat dropped. Kangoku blinked, then laughed out loud.

"Hahaha! No wonder you can't get a date for Shisui's hot spring party! You're even scared of a fork!" He snorted with laughter, earning a red blush from Noroi.

"Sh-Shut up, Kangoku…" Noroi managed, embarrassed. Kangoku had already gotten a date for Shisui's party. Kuromura Nomi, the spontaneous light salmon-haired kunoichi from Might Guy's team. Kangoku had proudly gone up to her, trying to play the romantic by asking her and she immediately agreed. Asobu refused to attend the festival at all, leaving Noroi to be forced to accompany Kangoku around the village. Noroi was beginning to think it was just a waste of his time.

"I-I'm going to g-go get a drink…" He mumbled at last and rose to his feet, heading to the counter of the shop, fumbling in his pouch to find his money, ultimately dropping it all on the floor, coins flying. Noroi blushed, wincing.

"S-Sorry." He apologized to the man behind the counter, who just sighed. Noroi bent down to scoop up the coins hurriedly, fumbling to keep his glasses from slipping down his nose before his hand landed on someone else's. His face lit up like a red lantern as he jerked his head up to find Isaye, from the Kumogakure team, bending down to help him pick up his coins.

Her bright blonde hair was held against her back in a loose ponytail, but was curled with the two strands on either side of her face. She wore a bright red kimono with tons of pink, yellow, and bright colored flowers adorning her yukata while her obi was plain pink with a large ribbon in the back.

She stood up slowly, Noroi following as she handed him a handful of coins, a very faint smile gracing her lips.

"Here." She dropped the coins in Noroi's shaking palm. He blushed some more, averting his eyes.

"S-S-Sorry a-about that…" He managed, tugging at the sleeves of his yukata frantically as if trying to tug away his nervousness, but it was failing. Isaye let her dark eyes sweep over him as he shook while ordering his drink.

"Do you know Shisui?" She asked calmly, tilting her head. Noroi blinked as he sipped the hot tea before answering.

"S-Sorta… H-He s-stopped and asked K-Kangoku and I-I if we wanted t-to-to go to that h-hot spring thing h-he was planning… S-Sorry." He added, wincing for his terrible stuttering. Isaye nodded, then shrugged lightly, letting her eyes drift to the side

"I see… Well, my teammate Huyu has already been asked to the hot springs by a girl from Konohagakure named Riko… I'm still free." She added, looking back at Noroi, who blinked.

"O-Oh?" He asked. Isaye nodded, then looked back at him with another very faint smile.

"Yes… Would you like to go with me?" She asked. Noroi went red all the way, biting down into his lip before yelping a little and almost spilling his hot tea over the front of his yukata before Isaye placed her hands on either one of his to keep the mug steady.

She looked at him expectantly, her dark eyes swimming with curiosity before Noroi managed to squeak.

"Y-Yes. Yea, I'd love to go." He managed to say without stuttering, much to his surprise. Isaye smiled and nodded, letting go of his hands.

"Wonderful. We'll meet here an hour before it starts, hm?" She asked and Noroi nodded. Isaye paused, studying Noroi's red face before leaning in and gently kissing him on the cheek before giving a graceful wave, turning and heading off. Noroi blinked, reaching up to touch his cheek before stopping, almost afraid he was going to wipe away the feeling.

"Hey, Noroi, I-… Whoa, your face is as red as a pepper." Kangoku whistled as he stepped up beside Noroi, waving a hand in his face. Noroi blinked, then averted his eyes, blinked again, then looked at Kangoku.

"I-I just… Got asked out…" He managed. Kangoku stared at him, then laughed out loud, smacking Noroi in the back, making him yelp and drop his mug.

"AWESOME! Maybe you do have some good looks, Noroi! Come on, I'll show you how to talk to a woman!"

"K-Kangoku, that hurt." Noroi mumbled, but he was ignored as Kangoku started to go on and on and on about women.

**Meanwhile**

"Hmmm," Shisui mused as he counted the money in his palm as he sat on the top edge of a fence that looked over toward the hot springs, "Should have enough and maybe some left over. I'm sure dad won't mind me spending this money on my friends, some of them my cousins~" He smiled sweetly at the thought of one particular cousin.

_Mitsuru~ Of course, he'll probably take a girl… Not me. But at least I get to see him without his shirt on! So cute! Ah, but I need to find a date myself… Hmph. Oh, why do I need a date anyway?_ He thought with a pout, resting his elbow on his knee, his chin in his palm.

That's when he heard it.

Jingling. A little metal ball bouncing inside a cage of silver. Shisui's eyes widened, his expression turning into horror.

"No way." He managed and whipped around, catching his balance on the fence in time to see the intruder.

"Looking for a date?" Fumichi Ecchio grinned up at him, gold eyes dancing. His short snow white hair was brushed off in a spiky style to the right, save for two long strands that touched his shoulders with silver bells tied to the top of each strand. The red flicks under his gold eyes were as seductive as ever, matching a black snake bite piercing.

He wore a silver-threaded yukata with triangular cuts in the shoulders, revealing a bit of the tiger tattoo on his right bicep. The yukata was also hanging open down until the white obi around his waist, which clearly revealed the snake tattoo around his belly button, the Konohagakure symbol at the base of his throat, and the tattoo of a heart over his heart. He wore a loose fitting white hakama from the waist down with a silver border, matching the painted zori on his feet.

Shisui's eye twitched as he thrust a finger down at him.

"YOU? What the HELL are you doing here?" He shouted, glaring down at the Chuunin-leveled shinobi. Ecchio closed his eyes in an innocent smile, a fist on his hip.

"I always attend the Chuunin Exams, my sweet, adorable little Shisui. Not only for the cute contestants, but also for the amazing festivals before each final round." He responded coolly. Shisui continued to glare at him, his fists clenching on the fence tops, cracking the wood.

"Che! Yea, right! Bullshit! You're just here to be a pervert! Lemme guess, you just got outta the hot springs after some good ol' peeping, am I right? Yea, I bet I am!" He shouted, then whipped around, folding his arms over his chest and huffed. Ecchio smirked, then pushed off the ground, flickering onto the top of the fence in an almost frog-like pose beside Shisui, who looked the other way stubbornly.

"Aw, don't be like that, Shisui. I don't like to see pretty faces like yours ruined by a scowl." He cooed, leaning his face in toward Shisui's, only to have a hand smack him in the face.

"Shut up," Shisui snorted, glancing at Ecchio in time to see the other boy blink rapidly in surprise at the blood that was trickling from his nose, "You know I hate you! You have a lot of nerve showing up here!" Ecchio sighed and sat comfortably, wiping his nose with a tissue that he pulled from his obi.

"Oh, come now, Shisui. Don't say that. I love you so much!"

"As much as you love the other twelve trillion people you say that too?"

"Yup!"

"Jerk!"

"I didn't mean it like that," Ecchio drawled before smirking, "Whatever happened between us back in the academy, why don't we just let it go, hm? Let's start over again and this time, I promise not to sexually harass you this time either… Well, as much."

"As much! Ha! You think too much with the head between your legs, you pervert!"

"Says the one who just pointed out my genitalia."

"Shut up!" Shisui cried, blushing light pink and smacking his hand against his face to hide it, making Ecchio laugh out loud.

"I love it when you blush! Well, look, lemme cut to the chase," Ecchio sighed, flipping his hand out and using the other to prop himself up on the fence, "I heard you were inviting people to the hot springs, but they had to have a date. Knowing you, you were thinking of Mitsuru when you said that, huh?" Shisui averted his eyes, reaching up to twirl a bit of hair around his finger.

"It doesn't matter. Mitsuru's going to ask a girl, probably Sayuri, but that's okay. So long as he's happy. Sayuri's a smart and pretty girl anyway…" He mumbled. Ecchio glanced at him with a thoughtful expression, an eyebrow raised and his lips pursed.

"I've met her. She's cute, very. Her brother is too… But as long as Mitsuru's happy, you should be happy, am I right?" He asked. Shisui blinked and smiled a bit.

"Yea, I guess so."

"See? Life's not all glum and blah! Don't be sad or else it'll make me sad because I especially like you, Shisui."

"Hmph, I bet you told Sayuri and Sakumo that too!" Shisui snorted stubbornly. Ecchio grinned.

"How'd ya know?"

"I THOUGHT SO! You filthy pervert! You're just trying to butter me up for something! Well, spill! What do you want?" Shisui demanded, putting a fist on his hip. Ecchio beamed sweetly, his eyes closed.

"To go with you to the hot springs as your date." He answered. Shisui blinked, then scowled at him.

"Are you kidding me? Hell no! You're a jerk! You always got the top grades in the academy ON PURPOSE just to piss me off and you turned around and played around with me AND Mitsuru! Not to mention, you told every single person you met that you loved them more than anything in the world! You tripped me up during the academy exam and made me fail it! You even peeped on me in the hot springs! There's no way in Hell I am going to take you as a date!" He declared, then jerked his head the other way, closing his eyes and sticking his nose in the air.

Ecchio cocked a brow, reaching over and poking Shisui in the cheek, making the other boy scowl.

"You're so silly. I got the top grades because I wanted to… The bonus was pissing you off because it was funny. I played with Mitsuru just to piss you off, sure, but he really is cute, ya know. I tell everyone I love them more than anything in the world because I do love them more than anything in the world. I tripped you up on accident, by the way. And how come you can look at Mitsuru in the hot springs, but I can't look at you?" He challenged, making Shisui blush and wince.

"S-Shut up! I'm not allowed in the hot springs at Konohagakure anymore BECAUSE I peeped on Mitsuru! And for your information, Mitsuru is MINE! Just because you're the biggest pervert that ever existed and you're really good at being seductive, doesn't mean I'm handing him over! Or the fact that he's completely for girls." Shisui added under his breath with a light flinch. Ecchio grinned.

"Ne, Shisui, come on. Just this once, let me prove I can be a good guy!"

"Go as someone else, like Sakumo or Haruhi or someone that's not me!"

"… They wouldn't go with me. Besides, I wanted to ask you. Why show up without a date at your own little hot spring party? Please~ Pretty, pretty please? I promise not to make any perverted comments or moves while on the date." Ecchio promised, crossing a finger over his chest. Shisui studied him closely, frowning.

_Ugh, he's right no matter what. I'm the one who said bring a date… Unbelievable. I can't believe I'm about to agree to dating my rival._ He thought in annoyance, then flung his hand back at Ecchio, closing his eyes with a snooty huff.

"Sure, whatever, fine, but one false move and I am not kidding when I say I will break every bone in your body and you know I can." He added. Ecchio beamed and took Shisui's hand, kissing his fingertips.

"Excellent." He murmured, completely hiding the crossed fingers in the sleeve of his yukata.

**Sometime Later…**

"You look distracted." Itachi stated after he set his cup down, his onyx eyes locked on Ruriko, who looked up, blinking at first before smiling apologetically.

"Sorry… I know it's not the best time to be thinking about it, but…" Her voice trailed off with the thought. Itachi frowned.

"Uwasa's body. You're wondering what happened to it." He stated. Ruriko frowned, shifting uncomfortably, reaching up to toy with a curl hanging near her temple.

"Sorry if it bothers you, it's just hard to get off my mind."

"No, it's fine. In fact, I was thinking about it too… They said just a thread from duct tape?" He asked. Ruriko nodded as she folded her hands on the table, studying her meal of sashimi and cabbage stew.

"Just a thread of duct tape and the rest of the body was missing… It makes no sense. What kind of person steals a kid's body?" She muttered, then picked up a skewer of fish, nibbling it off. Itachi nodded, placed the spoon back in the bowl.

"It's gross… But, the duct tape means that someone was wearing it or they used it to take the body away… And there's always the possibility that someone left it behind merely to keep us distracted." He explained calmly, taking a sip of his warm tea. Ruriko paused, drumming her orchid painted nails on the table top.

"This is more complicated than I thought… And you didn't help much by suggesting the last bit."

"I had to throw it out there. Any suggestions are good."

"I guess… Jeez, it's so hard to think if you were there when Lady Hinata found out."

"I'm glad I wasn't present… This is the second child she's lost."

"I know. It's awful and kind of scary to think about," Ruriko added quietly, frowning as she immediately thought of Haruke, "It makes me want to pull Mitsuru out of the exams…" Itachi's eyes flickered up at her as he frowned.

"I wouldn't even think about it… Mitsuru's gotten this far and he'll be angry if you try and jump in… Besides, I'm sure Mitsuru will be fine, Ruriko. I have a lot of confidence in him, Haruke too. I know you're worried about him just being here and away from home, but Akira's also here for Ketsuraku and Setsuna, so if something goes wrong, we'll just call him." He informed coolly, reaching out and placing a hand over Ruriko's. Ruriko looked at him and smiled lightly.

"Yea… You're right. It's just so hard to stay positive."

"I know… Right now, it's best to just take your mind off it. You can go all police officer after the exams." Itachi said with a warm smile. Ruriko smiled in return, tilting her head in agreement. They went on eating, but Ruriko's mind drifted right back as she frowned, finishing her second bowl of cabbage stew.

_Duct tape… Duct tape… I don't know anyone who wears duct tape nor have I seen anyone who wears it and why would someone use duct tape to take a body? Even if they did, there'd be more evidence left behind… Maybe I shouldn't even be focusing on the duct tape… I need to see the crime scene, but they're not letting anyone in until after the exams, which is pretty damn stupid if you ask me. The evidence could be removed, moved, or ruined with the time frame… But I really can't leave the festival to investigate. It'd be the second time I ditched a date with Itachi because of my job. Damn, I'm a terrible wife._

**Later**

"They look like they're having fun." Isao pouted, his arms folded over his chest as he sat in his normal Sunagakure Jounin uniform. Nero blew smoke out from under the small shop tent, watching children laughing and running by.

"You're childish, that's why you say that." He responded dully, earning a snort from the other Sunagakure ninja. Roku, who sat at Isao's side, tilted his head after the kids, smiling lightly to himself before yelping when Isao slammed a sake bottle near him.

"Come on, Roku, take a good gulp of it!" He urged. Roku sweat dropped.

"I am underage?"

"And your point…?" Isao cocked a brow, then winced as Nero smacked him upside the head before flicking the ash off the end of his cigarette, going to say something, however, he was cut off as a pair of women walked in. The first woman had silver hair with an electric blue fringe, her eyes icy blue and skin albino. She wore a black, knee-length kimono with a golden dragon swirling around her body with a matching obi and her hair done up in a traditional bun with chopsticks.

The other woman had nice curves and a rather snug midnight red kimono that just barely covered her thighs with a large orange bow in the back that drooped. She wore very high heeled gold sandals that matched the sunflower hairpiece holding her orange hair back away from her face in a loose, silky bun. Her lips were painted a beautiful deep red, gold and orange eye shadow adoring her crystal blue eyes.

"Heyyy," Isao cooed, leaning on his elbow to smirk at the women, "You guys are kinda pretty! Wanna come sit with us?" The first girl smirked and quickly plopped in a seat just across from Isao, winking.

"You're pretty social! Come on, Sekushi! Don't be shy!" She added to the girl beside her, thrusting a finger at the open seat beside Roku, who stiffened slightly. The orange-haired girl smiled sweetly, showing off a cute dimple in her left cheek, tilting her head as a light blush crossed her face.

"Okay, but don't forget, my brother wants us back to the hotel soon." She added, taking a seat. Roku averted his eyes, picking up a skewer from his plate and nibbling on the end of it while Isao grinned at them.

"So, we know her name, and what about you, beautiful?" Isao asked the first girl, who laughed.

"You're such a pervert! My name's Kirai. I'm from Konohagakure. Judging from your attire, you're from Sunagakure, am I right?" Kirai asked coolly, raising an eyebrow as she leaned her chin on her hand. Isao smirked.

"Oh yea. Name's Isao, by the way. This here is Nero and Roku, by the way, they're both single… And so am I." He added. Kirai laughed again.

"Is that so? Hear that, Sekushi? We got ourselves three lucky guys." She teased and threw a wink at the guys, making Isao chuckle proudly. Roku sighed. Sekushi smiled lightly again, giving her head a little tilt before looking at Roku.

"You're Roku?" She asked. Roku looked at her with a faint smile.

"Yes."

"You're very cute, how old are you?"

"Seventeen… And you?"

"I'm sixteen. I met Kirai through my brother… Well, he's not really my brother. I just call him that since we're so close."

"Who's your brother?" Roku asked. Sekushi paused to shift a bit uncomfortably.

"Uhhh… Well, we call him Dei."

"Oh…" Roku paused, trying to think back. That sounded familiar. Weird… He shrugged it off and finished his third meal, glancing at Isao, who was very obviously trying to flirt with both Sekushi and Kirai. Sekushi just giggled accordingly and nodding shyly while Kirai boisterously matched Isao's wit, eventually confusing Isao until he had to stop talking to think.

"What happened? You were keeping up such good conversation and now you're all dead." Kirai pointed out with a wide grin, resting her chin on her knuckles. Isao sweat dropped, laughed nervously, then elbowed Roku.

"He wanted to do some talking! How about I fetch you guys something to drink?" He offered instead, earning a nod from everyone. He got up to get a drink. Roku averted his eyes, covering his face slightly with embarrassment. He had no idea what to say!

"So, Roku, you're a sensei too, hm?" Kirai asked eagerly, tilting her head. Roku nodded, nibbling on another skewer. Sekushi paused, then smiled again and leaned her cheek on her fist, her elbow on the table.

"Ne, Roku, you're so adorable. Are you single?" She asked. Roku blinked and looked up. Nero glanced over at Roku, cocking a brow as if to say 'well?' Kirai just snickered all-knowingly at Sekushi's act. Roku smiled a little.

"Single? Like, living alone? Yes."

"Er, yea, close enough. Aw, it's so hard to believe someone as cute as you doesn't have a mate… Are you looking?"

"For what?" Roku asked, still smiling with a clueless expression. Kirai laughed and Nero smacked his forehead. Sekushi sweat dropped, her expression turning into a sort of 'uhh, what do you think I meant' look.

"Uhm, well… Looking for someone to spend your time with." She said slowly, innocently with a dimpled smile. Roku paused, then shrugged.

"I spend lots of time with Nero-sensei, Akira, Kakashi-sensei, Itachi, Ruriko-sama… And Genin too, Mitsuru and Sayuri…" His voice trailed. Sekushi puckered her lips a bit in distaste.

"Oh. Uh, who's Ruriko?" She asked. Roku beamed.

"She's basically my mother."

"Oh! And, Sayuri. She must be on your Genin team."

"Yes."

"Cool… Anymore girls?"

"… Uh, I guess. There is some back at the village that I spend time with, but they act weird sometimes, so I rather just stay with the Genin most of the time."

"Oh." Sekushi sounded disappointed and averted her eyes, pouting. Kirai cocked a brow, still smirking in pure amusement. The Konoha Jounin was beyond clueless and it was amazingly entertaining. From the looks of it, Sekushi was on the verge of giving up her legendary flirting. Isao arrived with the drinks, sliding them across the table.

Sekushi watched the drink skid towards her and smiled, making a very terrible attempt at grabbing it.

"Oh no!" She gasped as it slid past her toward the edge of the table. Roku blinked and quickly reached out, practically leaning over Sekushi to grab it. Sekushi beamed, feeling her face warm up in triumph. Kirai hid a snicker by taking a gulp of her drink while Nero rolled his eyes and Isao stared. Roku smiled, leaning back while still standing and handing the drink to Sekushi.

"Careful. Is hot and will burn." He told her. Sekushi tilted her head with another suggestive smile as she placed a hand over Roku's on the cup.

"I can think of other things that are hot." She offered. Kirai spewed her drink back into her cup and Nero choked on his drink, flashing Sekushi a 'what's with the cheesy line?' while Isao's jaw dropped. Roku blinked at her, his expression almost confused before he smiled again.

"Me too. Miso soup, kushiyaki, dango sauce. Lots of things." He answered. Sekushi sweat dropped and took the cup, sitting back comfortably and taking awkward sips while Roku to his seat, looking at Kirai and Nero, who were both coughing.

"Are you okay?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. Nero just waved a hand, clearing his throat and making a face at his sake. Kirai grinned, wiping some of the drink from her chin.

"Roku, you're hilarious. You were so cute as a kid." She added. Roku smiled. Sekushi blinked and looked up.

"You mean you know him?" She asked in disbelief. Kirai rolled her eyes as she set her cup down, folding her arms over her chest.

"Of course. I met him when he first came to the village. He's friends with Ecchio." She explained. Sekushi's eyes visibly lit up before she beamed happily. If she were a puppy, her ears would be perked up and her tail wagging as she leaned on Roku.

"Ecchio, huh? Did you know he named himself?" She asked Roku, who stared at her.

"Really?" He asked. Sekushi nodded, swirling the dark liquid in her cup before peeking up to look past her loose bangs at Kirai, who nodded for her to go on. Sekushi grinned, closing her eyes before tilting her face toward Roku.

"Yup! His name means porn, sex, hentai. I think it's a great name! What about you?" She asked eagerly. Roku smiled.

"Sounds funny. Ecchio doesn't act like his name." He said. Kirai's head hit the table and she clasped her hands over it, trying to hold in her laughter. Nero bit his lip and sweat dropped, watching as his blood polluted his drink and Isao choked before he could laugh out loud. Sekushi's eye twitched.

"You're kidding me." She stated. Roku shook his head.

"Ecchio is just very friendly. He grew up with no family, so he likes being around lots of people." He answered. Sekushi sweat dropped, looking away with a forced smile.

"That I know. I dunno, I think Ecchio is a pervert. I mean, hasn't he ever done anything…? Like, touch you?" She pressed. Kirai glanced up, raising an eyebrow and pursing her lips.

"Sekushi, give it a rest, will ya?"

"Ssh!" Sekushi insisted and went on smiling. Roku beamed.

"Nope. Just hugs… Oh, well, he put his lips on my cheek, but that is just because he likes people very much."

"Eh? Roku-"

"All right," Nero sighed, standing up, waving his hands for everyone else to stand, "This is starting to make me sick." Isao snorted with laughter and Sekushi blushed red with embarrassment. Roku just stared at him obliviously while Kirai smirked, standing up. Sekushi stood up next, hurriedly leaving while Kirai sighed, rubbing the back of her neck before flashing Roku a grin.

"You know she was trying to flirt, right?" She asked. Roku blinked, then smiled.

"What is flirt?" He asked. Kirai grinned.

"That's what I love about you… How you and Ecchio ever got to be friends still amazes me! By the way, it's what's flirting… Flirt's not a noun, but hey! You're better than you were! Great job, Roku!" She winked before swiftly exiting the tent after Sekushi, calling her name rather loudly.

"You seriously didn't know she was flirting with you?" Isao demanded, putting a fist on his hip. Roku shook his head, but he averted his eyes.

_Duh_.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update… Lost muse there for a bit and it's homecoming week at my school, so yea. xD Random chapter. :) Some more to come! Hope I explained the outfits right. They all sounded so gorgeous! I can't wait to write the hot spring chapter. LOL. Well, thanks so much for reading, hope the characters were in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	14. Chapter 14

**UPDATE! WOO! ANOTHER UPDATE! WOOOOOO!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters introduced within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have already claimed as my own and will repeat in the next arc of the story! ALSO, on a side note, YES, there is a Shippuden to this, so be thinking about Ocs for that, however, you do not need to send them in today. You might wanna wait a bit…**

****

Chapter Fourteen: **Hot Spring Adventure! The Lone Yukata…**

"Well, this sucks," Mitsuru declared in annoyance as he and Sayuri walked down the street, "It looks like everyone's taken… You think Shisui will let us come anyway? I haven't been in a hot spring in so long…" He sighed miserably. He loved hot springs, the warm soothing water comforting and relaxing him. Sayuri scowled at him, then glanced up with a frown.

"He's Shisui. He's one of my best friends and I'm sure he'll let me in… And you, well…" Her voice drifted as an all-knowing, perverted grin plastered onto her face as she averted her eyes. Mitsuru blinked, twitched, then blushed red, glaring at her.

"Oh, shut up! It's not like I like him back anyway, he's my cousin! Tch, maybe I won't even go… I'll just, find my mom and ask for some cash so I can get a private bath." He muttered. Sayuri rolled her eyes.

"Don't do that, you'll hurt Shisui's feelings!"

"So what? He's almost broken my arm before."

"Because he was hugging you!"

"Don't drop guilt bombs! I'm going to try asking my mom for some money… Maybe I can just pay my way in and still be there with the rest of you guys." Mitsuru muttered thoughtfully, his eyes searching the crowds for his mother's magenta kimono, but he was losing sight of anything purplish or pinkish. Mostly dark colors and pale pinks came into his field of vision. Sayuri glanced around as well, but saw the same as Mitsuru.

They wandered nearer and nearer to the hot springs as the sky began to grow bluer and bluer until it was almost black. The village lights were faint behind them, but the ones up ahead marking the way to the hot springs were evident.

"I guess this means we have to go in." Mitsuru stated.

"Without dates." Sayuri added on as if the idea of it still bothered her greatly. Mitsuru paused, lowering his eyes away from the fancy bamboo doors in front of them before dragging them up to peek at Sayuri out the corner of his eye.

_Maybe…? Maybe I can ask Sayuri to go with me? We're already here together anyway and… Well, I mean, it's not like I like her like that! No… Maybe… I don't know._ He thought with a light blush, then bit into his lip for a moment before nudging Sayuri with his elbow, glancing to see that she looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Hm?"

"Uh… Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but, I mean, it's just a suggestion, but… Do you wanna be my date to, uh, this thing?" Mitsuru asked, then averted his eyes quickly as if he were afraid of Sayuri's disgusted, horrified look, but instead, he didn't hear her snap at him or anything, so he looked to see her smiling very faintly, more like a cocky one than a soft one. Even so, Mitsuru wouldn't have it any other way as Sayuri caught his hand in hers, nodding.

"All right, sure, but just as friends."

"Right," Mitsuru agreed, unable to remove his eyes from Sayuri's hand in his, "Just as friends." He smiled now, big and happy as he reached for the door with his other, pushing it open.

**MOMENTS LATER…**

Warm curls of steam flooded the mixed bath as water splashed and rippled around the bodies inside, some sitting on the rocky edge of the large, hot pool. Music swiftly wavered through the air relaxingly as the Genin's voices rose over it.

"Wow, I never thought you'd come with Mitsuru, Sayuri," Shisui exclaimed as he beamed, sitting on the edge of the hot spring, "I'm glad you two could make it!" He smiled sweetly, cocking his head. He wore a pair of short black swimming trunks, a towel hanging around his neck while his hair was tied up in a loose bun, some strands hanging loose on his shoulders.

"Yea," Sayuri smiled warmly, comforted by the hot water swirling around her waist, "Mitsuru's the one who asked me… You know, that kind of surprises me." She averted her eyes, glad that the thick steam was hiding the very light pink blush on her face. Her silver hair was wet, slicked away from her face, save for some strands, while she wore a cute lilac bikini with white trims and yellow swirls on it.

"You're a very pretty girl," Shisui insisted proudly, putting his hands on his hips, "Of course he'd ask you! Personally, I think Mitsuru really likes you." He winked and Sayuri blinked, staring at him.

"You think so? But he's always acting like such a jerk butt." She muttered, making Shisui laugh lightly before shrugging.

"It's what some guys do when they like a girl. They don't want to come right out and say it. They like playing hard to get." Shisui added with a giggle, making Sayuri laugh in response. Sayuri took a peek over at Mitsuru, who wore a pair of navy blue swimming trunks with a gray drawstring. He was sitting and laughing with Zakuro, Lei, Ketsuraku, Jiki, Kangoku, Huyu, Subaru, Noroi, Nakusu, Tsutomu, Haruhi, and Ecchio. He seemed to be enjoying himself, making jokes and elbowing the others.

Meanwhile, the girls; Riko, Isaye, Kigeki, Harumi, Yuko, Rin, Yuriye, Kanwa, Nomi, Hikari, Kiku, and Hisako were sitting closer toward Shisui and Sayuri, giggling and whispering, some of them quiet and relaxing.

"Boys are like candy," Shisui began, flipping his hand out matter-of-factly, "There's tons of different kinds out there, some are your favorite and some of them you hate, but either way, they're sweet."

"You put me in the mood for candy." Kigeki admitted with a giggle as she twirled some light brown hair around her finger. She wore a one piece pink swimsuit with bows on the hips and the shoulders of it.

"Same here!" Riko agreed, wearing a sparkly silver bikini.

"Are you guys even getting the message?" Rin questioned, cocking a brow as she folded her arms over her chest. Her black bikini was snug and tied like a halter top. Beside her, Yuko sweat dropped, smiling weakly. She wore a red one piece suit with a black dragon etched into the belly of the suit.

"Yea," Kigeki hummed innocently as she dragged her feet through the water, then blushed lightly, averting her eyes, "But you know, not all candies are sweet. There are those really sour and nasty kind."

"Yea, like those mini-pickled fruit things! Blegh!" Nomi declared in disgust, waving a hand in her face. She was adorned in a pastel yellow two piece with a little skirt part on her bottom half designed with black roses.

"Nomi and Kigeki got a point," Hikari agreed as she scrunched up her nose in distaste, "Some boys are like pickled fruit. Mean, nasty, and sour." She nodded her head, some of the other girls nodding in agreement. Hikari wore a snug indigo two piece suit, the bottoms shorts with a black bow in the front. Her sister, Kiku, was one of the ones that nodded, sighing quietly. She wore an ocean blue two piece suit with white stripes.

"Not all of them are bad," Yuriye countered, wearing a rosy bikini with pale green flame-like patterns on it, "Not the ones that asked us to the hot springs."

"Agreed! I'm glad Haruhi asked me," Hisako declared, standing up to reveal a rather tight and revealing turquoise bikini with navy blue flowers, "He's adorably hot and I can't wait to kiss him!"

"Yeesh, come on a little strong there?" Sayuri joked with a smirk, making some of the other girls giggle. Kanwa harrumphed in annoyance at her sister's outburst, putting her hands on her curved hips. She wore a nice sea green two piece with ruffled trims. Beside her, Isaye cocked a brow in amusement at Hisako. Isaye sported a bright red bikini with black ties in the back and shoulders, pink swirls tiled on the top and bottoms. Harumi sweat dropped, shaking her head. She wore a one piece light orange and crème suit with a bow on the left shoulder.

"I think it's great," Shisui laughed, "Haruhi IS cute! In fact, you girls, all of you, should be over there with your dates! Even if you did just come with them so you could come. Let them know that each and every one of you are beautiful!"

"Easy for you to say! You're… You're pretty." Yuriye admitted, blushing lightly. Riko nodded, smiling a bit as she tilted her head.

"Yuriye's right, Shisui. You're super pretty, for a guy… You could get any guy you wanted!" She pointed out, although, she knew that the guy that Shisui wanted was far out of his reach. Instead, Shisui smiled warmly at her, then at the others.

"I'm just me. You're you. Everyone's different and you all have your own unique styles of beauty. I'm, like, suuuuuper jealous of all of you!" He replied honestly, flipping some of his loose hair over his shoulder.

"You're kidding me!" Hisako exclaimed.

"Nope!" Shisui beamed.

"Well, Shisui, what about you? Aren't you going to hang all over Ecchio?" Rin asked, glancing over at Ecchio, who was grinning and wearing a pair of midnight red swim trunks. Shisui twitched, then gave a forced smile, sweating a bit.

"Ah, heh heh… He's a totally different story. I just came with him because it was, like, last minute, ya know?" He tried, but some of the girls booed.

"No way! You guys totally make a cute couple!" Hisako insisted confidently.

"Definitely!" Yuko agreed eagerly, laughing lightly. Sayuri could tell by the way Shisui's face was lighting up with pink that it was embarrassing him. She knew Shisui enough to know that Shisui and Ecchio were practically mortal rivals and had no plans to become anything official… Although, she had to admit. They were pretty cute.

"If you go first, we'll follow!" Kigeki exclaimed, earning her some baffled looks.

"What'd you mean?" Shisui asked weakly, gripping the rocks on the edge of the hot spring rather tightly, so he was cracking them apart.

"You know what she means!" Riko cried before laughing.

"Yea, Shisui," Kanwa agreed, rather smugly, "You say we're all beautiful and lovely. You are too. Why don't you lead the way?" Shisui visibly blushed.

"Er…" He was at a loss for words.

"You guys are embarrassing him." Isaye drawled, sighing.

"If he won't, he won't." Kiku put in with a nod as she leaned on the edge, churning the water with her legs. Shisui averted his eyes, shifting uncomfortably.

"Come on, Shisui. You're more confident anyway…" Yuriye murmured, blushing. Shisui sighed lightly, then smiled.

"Well, if it's for you…" His voice trailed and he slid into the water.

"YAY!" Hisako and Kigeki cheered in unison with Hikari and Riko. Shisui smiled at them over his shoulder before looking over at Ecchio, pouting thoughtfully with a look of annoyance. _Yeesh. I knew it was a bad idea to invite Ecchio… But the girls are right. I so shouldn't contradict myself and I want them so badly to hug on their dates! It's, like, unbelievably adorable!_ He added with a grin to himself, then walked through the water, plopping between Ecchio and Mitsuru, beaming.

"Hey, boys! Ne, what're you talking about over here?" Shisui asked curiously, tilting his head to lean on Ecchio's shoulder. Ecchio blinked, then smirked rather proudly to himself as he slid an arm over Shisui's shoulders.

"Just making jokes about the first exam, the written portion. Was it really that hard?" He asked casually. Shisui looked a bit suspicious for a moment before smiling sweetly.

"The questions were soooo ridiculously hard! I hated it! When will you ever need to know how many meters away a tree is from you during target practice? What do you think, Kiku?" He asked, looking over at Kiku, who blinked and looked up with a light pink blush.

"Uh? Oh! Well, if you want to calculate the target's distance to hit in the bull's-eye…" Her voice trailed before she sucked in a deep breath and waded over, smiling as comfortably as she could as she took a seat beside Tsutomu, who wore teal trunks. Tsutomu seemed mildly surprised before nodding and seeming less stiff now as he relaxed beside Kiku.

"That would make sense," Nakusu put in with a sigh, averting his eye as he sat on the edge of the hot spring, careful not to get the gauze over his eye wet, "It is practice in case one of your opponent's have a specific jutsu, much like the Nara Clan's Shadow Possession Jutsu." Shisui glanced at the other girls. By now, Rin had confidently moved over, settling beside Lei, who wore a pair of pine green trunks and a nice big grin. Kanwa had also taken up a seat between Lei and Jiki, who wore black and red trunks, smiling rather relaxed-like.

It didn't take long before the girls were moving over, taking seats beside their dates. Shisui beamed happily, completely forgetting that he hated Ecchio as everyone talked, swapped stories, and laughed. At this point, the sky was dark and the lanterns in the hot springs were all lit up brightly, casting deep shadows.

"This was a great idea, Shisui," Jiki beamed happily as he held an arm over Kanwa's shoulders, "I'm having a blast!"

"Agreed." Kanwa nodded, trying to keep her serious expression, but it finally gave way to a comfortable smile.

"We should do this again sometime!" Lei exclaimed, laughing as he leaned on Rin, who very faintly smiled and nodded in agreement. The other Genin laughed and wooted with agreement.

"Hey, it's almost time for the fireworks, guys! Keep an eye out!" Ecchio exclaimed, thrusting a finger at the starry sky. They all lifted their eyes up, watching as the milky swirls of gold and white stars swept through the black sky like a blanket of jewels. The half moon in the sky glowed brightly like a beacon, giving Getsugakure a warm glow.

**SOMEWHERE ELSE**

"I'll be right back!" Ruriko called over her shoulder, giving the other Jounin and her husband a small wave, making them laugh and call out before she exited the private room in the restaurant, heading down a dark hallway. She sighed tiredly, reaching up to brush a lock of hair from her face.

She walked down the hall, her heels clicking gently on the bamboo flooring before she came to a counter near a payphone. She took some coins from her purse, dropping a few and watching them roll. She rolled her eyes and grumbled, bending down to pick them up, but a hand reached out and swiped them up, holding them out to her. Ruriko blinked and stood up, finding herself looking down at a young Genin.

He wasn't dressed for the festival. He wore a pencil gray beanie cap over wispy raven black hair, some brushed over his nose. His eyes were a brilliant lilac. His attire consisted of black fingerless gloves, save for the middle finger, a light gray vest over a silvery shirt with a biohazard sign on the front, and loose fitting black shorts with duct tape running down the sides. A pair of shabby boots covered his feet and a jar hung on his waist.

"Here." He held the coins out with a tired expression. Ruriko smiled lightly, taking the coins.

"Thanks, I can be such a klutz sometimes." She sighed, turning toward the payphone again. The Genin kept watching her, his hands in the pockets of his shorts.

"Same here," He said at last, "It always pisses off my sisters."

"You have sisters?"

"Yea. They're names are Kimiko and Arisu. They're both younger than me, but Kimiko's the youngest. She's a real brat."

"Sometimes younger siblings are like that. My brothers probably thought I was annoying since I was the youngest." Ruriko answered, pausing to glance at him a bit curiously out the corner of her eye. This boy was trying to start conversation and he looked awfully familiar, something about the structure of his face, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"What's your name?" The boy asked.

"Uchiha Ruriko… How about you?" Ruriko asked, smiling again as she turned to face the boy, who tilted his head slightly, averting his eyes almost to look behind him.

"Kazuhiko… Tsu-" He cut himself off as the jar on his hip suddenly whirred with life. Ruriko's eyes flickered in immediate recognition, her eyes widening. _That jar…! No way, it couldn't possibly be…_ Her thoughts drifted as Kazuhiko clasped a hand on the jar to hide the black form inside it.

"Sorry," He apologized, "My, uh, friend gave this to me before I came to the exams… I'm basically pretty useless without this thing."

"What's… Inside it?"

"I don't know. I'd show you, but my sensei would be pissed.

"Who's your sensei?"

"Kobayashi Nori. She's one of the older sensei along with Kakashi, Guy, Kotori, etc…"

"Is that so? Interesting… Say, how old are you?" Ruriko asked kindly, studying the boy closely. As she looked, his resemblance was becoming more and more familiar, but the name was escaping her. Kazuhiko shrugged.

"About fifteen. You're pretty young to be a mother." He pointed out. Ruriko blinked and tilted her head in confusion as to how he knew. Kazuhiko stared back at her for a moment, then shrugged.

"I met up with your son, Mitsuru… During the exams." He added. Ruriko almost breathed out a sigh of relief, wondering why she was even tense in the first place. After all, he was just a Genin.

"Ohh… Yea. I guess I am, but I love kids. They're amazingly smart and so cute. I have four of them, including Mitsuru."

"Wow. You really like kids… And your husband." Kazuhiko added, making Ruriko grow pink.

"You're pretty… Uh, sharp-tongued, I think is the word."

"Sorry if that bothers you… And, would it bug you if I asked your maiden name?" Kazuhiko questioned. Ruriko's brow knitted together in a frown as she studied him.

"Yea… Sort of. I don't know. You never told me your last name. What is it?" She asked.

"Hm? Oh, Tsukuyomi." Kazuhiko replied. Ruriko's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Tsukuyomi. My name is Tsukuyomi Kazuhiko… My father is Tsukuyomi Daiki and my mother is Kinjo Miyuki. Don't tell anyone I told you or else I'll get in a lot of trouble." Kazuhiko added with a bored sigh, averting his eyes to the side. Ruriko blinked, confused.

"Daiki… That means…"

"Yea, we're cousins. I knew who you were immediately. I'm not smart or anything, just observant… I wanted to meet you because my dad mentioned you a couple times."

"But… I thought Daiki was…"

"Dead? Or maybe super evil? Pretty much…"

"Last I heard of him… He had joined Kotaro's-"

"It's not Kotaro's army anymore," Kazuhiko answered coolly, as if spilling the information was no big deal, "It's someone else's. I don't think I can tell you without getting in trouble… Well, it's getting late and trust me, I'd like to keep talking, but I should probably go to sleep. I'm not even supposed to be out here."

"But, Kazuhiko-"

"It was nice meeting you. Talk to you in the stands." Kazuhiko gave a small, lazy wave before he walked off, one of his hands resting on the lid of the jar, the black mist inside swirling angrily. Ruriko's eyes followed him and she felt like she was frozen in shock.

_That… Did not just happen. Yes, it did. That boy. Kazuhiko is my cousin? But what's he doing here? To really take the exams? Or… Maybe something else? I don't know, but whatever it is, it's got me on edge…_

**HOT SPRINGS**

"Look, a firework!" Shisui cried, pointing a finger at the sky.

"I saw it!" Hisako squealed, splashing some of the hot water as she leapt to her feet, staring up at the sky with wide mauve eyes. Haruhi, who sat beside her, winced at the splashing water, but let his deep violet eyes lift to the sky in amazement. A huge explosion of crimson red burst into the sky, splattering like glittery paint amongst the gold and white stars.

"Wow, that was so beautiful…" Yuko murmured as she held onto Zakuro's arm with a smile. Zakuro just grinned contently, peering up at the sky past his square sunglasses.

"It's absolutely amazing!" Riko exclaimed in awe, her eyes scanning the sky. She didn't even bother to get close to Huyu, who had slipped from the hot spring to sit on the rocky edge with closed eyes. Mitsuru's gray eyes scanned the sky as another splatter of green, purple, and gold fireworks dotted the sky. He felt a hand touch his under the water and he looked down to see Sayuri staring up at the sky, her hand resting on his. He smiled lightly and looked back up.

"It's gorgeous, like a bunch of paint splatters." Lei mused as glanced at Rin, who nodded, lifting her icy blue eyes back up to stare.

"I wish we could see fireworks like this every night." Kigeki sighed with a smile. Subaru smiled thoughtfully, tilting his head to rest on Kigeki's, whose head rested gently on his shoulder.

"W-Wow… It's a-amazing. I c-can't even come up w-with a word for it…" Noroi managed as his pale blue eyes moved behind his thick black glasses. Isaye smiled when she thought no one was looking and nodded, murmuring a 'yes' as she held Noroi's hand, pleased to see his face light up with red.

"We should do this before we leave Getsugakure!" Nomi proclaimed confidently with a nod, putting a hand on her hip seeing as her other hand was clasped tightly with Kangoku's. Kangoku in return chuckled, nodding.

"Sounds like a good plan." He agreed, looking back up as a streak of blue and gold caked the sky in sparkles.

"This is the first time I've seen fireworks…" Kanwa admitted softly, her eyes scanning the little flames in the sky. Jiki blinked in surprise, looking at her before smiling warmly.

"Then I promise to take you for more again." He declared with a grin, making Kanwa visibly blush. Jiki leaned in and pecked her on the cheek, making her blush even deeper.

"They're wonderful." Kiku commented quietly, her eyes scanning the large explosions in the sky as Tsutomu nodded in agreement, thoughtlessly clasping his hand gently over Kiku', ready to jerk away in case it bother her, but instead, she held his hand in return.

"This is one of the best nights ever!" Hikari exclaimed, jumping up and almost slipping, then laughing as Ketsuraku caught her across his lap. He grinned at her.

"I'll second that notion." He responded and easily passed a kiss over her cheek, smirking at her as she blushed lightly, giggling in response.

"More fireworks!" Harumi whooped, thrusting her and Toshiyuki's clasped hands into the air, making Toshiyuki laugh warmly before he pulled her in for a hug, making her beam.

"It's really lovely. Fireworks are beautiful." Yuriye murmured, her hands clasped tightly in her lap under the water as she glanced at Nakusu, who was watching the sky with his single eye. He seemed a bit disappointed at not being able to see with his other eye, but his expression was rather flat as usual.

"Yes." Was all he answered her with. Yuriye averted her eyes, took a deep breath and held it in before she reached out quickly, taking Nakusu's hand in hers. Nakusu jerked at little and Yuriye knew he was. Nakusu was terrified of being touched or even near someone within a foot or so, but he relaxed after a moment, although, very slowly.

"Sorry." Yuriye managed, starting to pull away, but Nakusu held onto her hand rather tightly, looking at her.

"Do not be… We came as dates and we must act like it… I am sorry if anything I have not done has bothered you at all tonight." He apologized quietly, dully. Yuriye smiled shyly and gave her head a little shake. Nakusu felt his cheeks warm up slightly and not from the hot water either as he stared at Yuriye in the dim night.

Lanterns, stars, fireworks, and the moon gave a steady glow down on them, making her eyes almost twinkle and the water on her body glisten like diamonds. Nakusu blinked at his thought and averted his eyes quickly, more shyly than Yuriye had. Instead of grabbing onto her like he wanted to, he simply clasped her hand tightly in his as they watched the lights in the sky burst and fade, burst and fade.

"I'm glad you let me take you," Ecchio mused to Shisui as they sat on the edge of the hot spring, "I've been waiting all night for this moment." Shisui blinked, glanced at him out the corner of his eye, then huffed lightly.

"Yea, well… It was last minute."

"You don't have to be mean about it."

"Hmph."

"You look really pretty tonight." Ecchio added, puckering his lips into a childish pout as he looked at Shisui past his hair. Shisui stared at him, then snorted, pushing a hand in his face, only to have Ecchio pull him forward into his arms.

"Hey, you said nothing perverted!" Shisui cried as Ecchio kissed on his cheek and nose and ear. Ecchio grinned.

"I had my fingers crossed.

"JERK!"

Even so, the night went on nicely as the fireworks exploded in the sky like colorful bombs before they faded and nightfall came upon them heavily. Exhausted, the Genin began to file out and redress in their clothes.

"I was surprised," Tsutomu admitted quietly to Nakusu as he dressed in his gray knee-length shorts, wrapping the bandages from there on down to his blue sandals, "You are normally very stoic about things, but you seemed pretty shy around Yuriye…" Nakusu glanced at him as he pulled his black long sleeved shirt with the triangular cuts in the shoulders on. He settled his headband comfortably over the gauze on his right eye socket.

"I like her… She is very sweet and caring… What of you and Kiku? You both seem to share many equivalent thoughts." He said. Tsutomu averted his eyes before he pulled on his yellow t-shirt with a fishnet vest underneath, a gray zipper going on over top with a small neck guard and quarter-length sleeves.

"Yes. I like her…"

"Why?"

"She's intellectual… She knows what she's doing and doesn't make up stories to keep a conversation going."

"That is good." Nakusu commented as he tied his headband on tightly, glancing at Tsutomu, who jerked his headband on tightly over his right arm. Tsutomu's black eyes lifted toward Shisui, who was laughing and joking with some of the other guys while pulling on his black elbow-length black turtleneck shirt, rings jingling on the right side of the collar.

"Your brother is thoughtful to do this for us." He murmured as he put his straight, light brown hair into a bobble while the rest fell to the left side of his jaw over his face. Nakusu reached out to pick up his towel, dropping it over his shoulder as he peeked at Shisui with a thoughtful expression.

"Yes… I am lucky." He said at last, quietly.

"That was awesome, Shisui! You don't even need to pay me so long as we get to do this again!" Ketsuraku cheered happily as he pulled a long sleeved red shirt over his head, messing up his deep purple hair even more as his yellow eyes danced with excitement.

"I agree with Ketsuraku," Subaru said to Shisui as he pulled on his dark gray tank top over a fishnet vest. He pulled on his long gray shorts with the orange going down the sides, jerking on his black sandals. He added his bandana styled headband onto his shaved head and dark orange gloves that touched his elbows, followed by bandages.

"Seriously?" Shisui exclaimed with a grin, getting a pat on the back from Kangoku as the Mist Genin pulled a fishnet shirt on under a loose fitting beige vest that hung to his knees with brown trims.

"That was seriously awesome, man, I'm considering backing out if I have to go up against you, you know, just for doing all this! If I only I didn't respect you so much." He added with a grin, his violet eyes glowing with excitement before he tied on a loose brown scarf around his vest. He pulled on his black pants with slits in the knees and matching ninja shoes. He reached up to toy with the hoop in his left nostril, grinning at the thought of the exams now.

"Yea, I really needed a good soak in those hot springs." Mitsuru muttered with a yawn as he ran a hand through his loose black hair, pulling on his gray shirt with the black hood and his dark gray ninja shoes.

"Oh, most definitely! I haven't been in hot springs for a long ass time." Jiki pointed out with a grin as he brushed out his midnight hair, kicking back on a nearby bench.

"It was such a fun time! I finally got to cuddle with Rin~" Lei cooed as he buttoned his Chinese jacket, tilting his head from side to side happily at the thought. Zakuro just grinned to himself as he adjusted his sunglasses.

"I got to touch Yuko~"

"Pervert." Lei accused, only to be smacked for being hypocritical.

"I guess it was pretty fun. I really didn't think I was going to like the dating part of this." Haruhi shrugged as he tied his headband on, his deep violet eyes closing as he yawned.

"Hmm." Huyu hummed as he pulled on his black sandals, tying bandages around his neck. Mitsuru glanced at him with a frown as he picked his headband up off the bench. Everything about the hot spring party was amazingly fun and exciting, except for Huyu being there. He had been mostly silent the entire time, even quieter than Tsutomu, who actually smiled every so often. Huyu had mostly either ignored Riko or silently gestured for her to give him some breathing space. He felt sorry for Riko.

It also bothered him to see Huyu there seeming so relaxed, laid back. Mitsuru gritted his teeth as he jerked his headband tight on his forehead. He went to get up, only to be playfully hugged from behind.

"Mitsuruuuu! You and Sayuri are so adorable together! Who asked who?" Shisui questioned eagerly. Mitsuru twitched, then scowled, blushing lightly.

"I… I did." He managed.

"And you're still alive?" Ketsuraku joked, getting playfully punched in the shoulder by Ecchio, who laughed anyway. Some of the other guys chuckled. Mitsuru huffed, folding his arms over his chest.

"Oh, please. Sayuri's tough, I'll give her that, but there's no way she can kill me… And why would she even want to. She likes me." He stated confidently, although, a nagging voice in the back of his head said otherwise.

"Problem is," Lei mused with a dramatic sigh, "I can't tell who the guy is and who the girl is in that relationship."

"Shut up, Lei!" Mitsuru snapped in annoyance as some of the others laughed. Lei grinned at him innocently, eyes forever closed so his black lashes showed off how creamy his skin really was.

"Haha, Lei's got a point," Ketsuraku shrugged, "Sayuri's more of a guy than you are, and not just look wise." He winked, making Mitsuru roll his eyes.

"Oh, be quiet! You don't see Sayuri like I do! She's smart, pretty, and funny too!" He blurted, then blushed lightly, making Shisui coo.

"Aww, way to go, Mitsuru!" Shisui beamed.

"That's right, defend your girlfriend." Ecchio snickered.

"She's- She's not…!" Mitsuru couldn't even spit it out as the other guys laughed out loud. He scowled and shook his head, looking down at his feet with his arms folded tightly over his chest.

"What about you guys?" He muttered at last.

"I absolutely adore Hikari," Ketsuraku sang happily as he tied his navy blue cloak on, smirking, "She's outgoing and friendly and just plain adorable! I could hug on her all day and in fact, I will as soon as we exit the hot springs!"

"Her sister's nice too." Tsutomu put in, although, he meant it more to himself than the other guys.

"Kiku? She seems pretty brainy! That's great in a girl." Ecchio pointed out with a wink, making Tsutomu shrug lightly.

"I like intellectuals… They don't babble about shoes." He admitted, making some of the guys snicker amongst themselves.

"That's why I like Nomi," Kangoku boosted with his fists on his hips, "She's gorgeous with all the right portions and she's pretty ecstatic about everything, except shoes. I haven't heard much about shoes."

"How can you guys not like shoes?" Shisui muttered, flipping a hand out in a sort of half shrug with a pout.

"Nobody cares how many heels, training shoes, boots, whatever they have. We just want the girl, not her clothes or shoes." Haruhi retorted with a huff, earning some nods of agreement.

"We just want their clothes off." Ecchio mocked before laughing out loud. The others burst out in laughter, save for a few who merely smacked their foreheads and blushed lightly.

"I dunno," Jiki mused, "It's not particularly all about getting a hold of them like that, Ecchio… I like Kanwa because of her personality. Her jokes are so bad it makes me laugh and she does this cute thing when she's mad, you know, scrunching up her nose like that and it's so adorable."

"I noticed that!" Shisui giggled.

"Hisako does that same thing… Does it run in their family or something?" Haruhi wondered aloud."Speaking of her, do you really like her? You DID blush when she kissed you on the cheek before running into the changing rooms." Ecchio mused aloud, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Haruhi felt his face grow hot as he shifted uncomfortably on the bench.

"She's… Okay… She's a little loud and boisterous, almost like Harumi or something." He muttered, averting his eyes.

"I like Harumi being loud," Toshiyuki put in as he stepped into the changing rooms after a quick shower, a towel around his waist and his short red hair in his face, "It's awesome that she's not shy! Have you her heard laugh too? It's so cute!"

"I like Kigeki's laugh, it's quiet and almost shy." Subaru murmured thoughtfully.

"I think you guys are cute together!" Shisui and Ecchio exclaimed at the same time, peeking at each other with cocked brows. Subaru blushed lightly, smiling a bit weakly.

"Yea… I really like her. I hope something else might come of just this date." He admitted with a little shrug, earning a small smile from Tsutomu.

"Hey, what about you, Nakusu? You haven't said what you like about Yuriye." Ketsuraku pointed out. Nakusu stiffened in the corner of the changing rooms, looking at them. He averted his eye awkwardly, shifting.

"I just do." He responded, which sparked a couple boos.

"Come on, Nakusu! You're almost as shy as Yuriye herself!" Toshiyuki complained as he sat on a bench to pull his shoes on after putting on his black jumpsuit with the red stripes on the sides. Nakusu shrugged, but said nothing.

"What if I said something bad about Yuriye?" Ecchio challenged in hopes of provoking the Uchiha. Nakusu glanced at him with a small frown.

"Why would you say that? There is nothing bad about Yuriye to say." He stated.

"Except that she's so quiet all the time," Ecchio began with a cocky smirk, making some of the guys stare at him in disbelief, "And she's so nice all the time that she even lets people walk all over her like a doormat! I mean, I know Rin is quiet and stuff, but at least she's confident and knows what she's doing. Yuriye is mostly falling you and Yuuma around like a puppy dog."

"Ecchio, that's uncalled for!" Shisui protested angrily, putting a hand on his hip and smacked Ecchio in the gut with the back of his palm. Ecchio ignored the slight pain that the smacked caused him as he watched Nakusu's single blue eye practically glow in annoyance.

"I like quiet girls," He informed flatly, "They do not interrupt you nor do they care only of themselves. Yuriye is kind and she knows what she is doing or else she would make mistakes. If anyone thinks of stepping on Yuriye, I will gladly have your throat ripped out in your sleep. Is that what you were expecting?" Ecchio grinned at the response and gave a sideways nod.

"All right… That works… See? It wasn't so hard to admit you like Yuriye." He replied honestly with a shrug. Nakusu rolled his eye.

"That is what you wanted to hear… But really, there is no way for me to describe how much I like Yuriye. Of course, you would not know, would you, Ecchio? As you jump from person to person to person like it is a game."

"Harsh." Ecchio mused, but didn't seem to take offense to it as he closed his eyes in a cocky smirk.

"Hmph." Nakusu turned his head the other way in aggravation. He never liked Ecchio and it wasn't simply because Ecchio was constantly mocking the Uchiha Clan, particularly his brother, but Ecchio seemed to be a huge player and didn't care if he hurt someone deep down inside.

Meanwhile, the girls were in their changing rooms, dressing back up in their original clothing while some were just stepping from the shower.

"That was so magical," Hisako cooed, clasping her hands together as she stood on a bench in a plush blue towel, "Haruhi is soooo adorable! I could kiss him all night long, his skin is so soft!"

"Hahaha," Hikari laughed as she pulled on her plum colored shirt over mesh armor, "I know what you mean, Ketsuraku is so fun to cuddle with and underneath that heavy cloak of his, he's got some great muscles!" She giggled at the thought, hugging herself.

"I hope you two aren't just focusing on appearances." Kiku muttered dryly as she pulled on a very long, navy blue top and dark gray leggings that led to black sandals.

"What were you focusing on with Tsutomu then, Kiku?" Rin questioned as she zipped up her skintight black jumpsuit, tying her white blonde hair up in a ponytail. Kiku glanced over at her, paused, then shrugged lightly.

"His thoughts… Tsutomu is very observant and I like that… He even allows me to talk about things most others would think useless." She replied, smiling faintly at the thought of Tsutomu's hand in hers, then looked at Rin to see her thoughts on Lei. Rin averted her icy blue eyes, her expression slightly tired of keeping stoic all day.

"Lei is very obnoxious and loud… But he is honest and brave. As Kiku stated of Ketsuraku, I like Lei's thought process." She answered calmly.

"That's what I like about Zakuro," Yuko blurted, getting some weird stares before sweat dropping and waving her hand, "No, no, not _those_ thoughts… I mean, he mentioned to me about the issue he has with his clan that was on his mind lately and I helped cheer him up a bit."

"I saw you two steal a kiss." Kanwa stated with a cocked brow, making Yuko blush.

"Er-"

"AWWW! Yuko and Zakuro, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Hisako sang loudly, laughing as Yuko elbowed her in the ribs playfully.

"What do you see in Jiki? He seems pretty sweet." Yuko pointed out to Kanwa, who stood up as she adjusted her midnight leg warmers.

"He is, but he's very masculine, just the kind of guy I need. Someone who won't hesitate to protect me and couldn't be bothered with any of my deeply personal issues." She stated as she put her hands on her hips.

"So deadpan," Nomi mused, then grinned as she leaned back on the bench, winking, "That's something I like about Kangoku, the manliness I mean. His tattoo is sooo attractive! I'm just gonna be so heartbroken when he goes back to Kirigakure, though…" She sighed sadly, tilting her head onto her shoulder.

"That's how I'm going to feel about Noroi…" Isaye murmured, although, she meant to more to herself, only to have Hisako hear her and stare at her.

"I wanted to ask you that. What do you even see in Noroi? I mean, no offense! Trust me, he's adorable and I love his earrings, but…" Her voice trailed as she watched Isaye lift her dark eyes.

"Noroi is cute. He seems very nervous and I want to calm him, although, I like it when he blushes when I kiss him. I've never seen someone's face get that red. He's also smart and doesn't babble about stupid and unnecessary things." She explained simply.

"Sounds fair enough." Yuko agreed lightly with a smile.

"That's great." Riko smiled as she put on her black sandals, tying her light brown hair back with a bobble, styling it into two hoops with strands sticking into the air a bit.

"I noticed something also," Isaye added with a bit of a frown, "You and Huyu." Riko blinked, then averted her eyes, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"I guess he just really didn't like me… I just really wanted to come to this thing and not disappoint Shisui. I had fun, though! I don't need some guy to make myself happy!" She laughed it off easily, but looked the other way as she adjusted her black jacket, standing up to show off the fishnet jumpsuit underneath with a gray tank top hiding underneath the mesh.

"Same here…" Sayuri found herself saying, earning some stares.

"Did you just come with Mitsuru to get in too, Sayuri?" Yuko asked, her eyebrows tilting up in an almost sad expression. Sayuri blinked, blushing lightly for a moment.

"Uh… Well, that was the original plan… But, I dunno. I mean, I'm not saying right away that I like Mitsuru… I mean, seriously! He can be so annoying sometimes, especially when he cries! He's such a crybaby sometimes! And other times… He can be kind of sweet and thoughtful, I guess… If that's what you wanna call it…" She mumbled uneasily, shifting as she tied her headband around her waist.

"Haha, I always thought that was kinda cute." Harumi giggled, waving a hand in her face.

"That's completely opposite from Toshiyuki." Rin pointed out matter-of-factly, cocking a brow. Harumi grinned.

"Yea, I know, but Toshiyuki's hot! He's so clever, like a fox! He's pretty silver-tongued and silly sometimes, but other times kinda sweet, ya know?" She asked, flipping her hair and winking.

"Haha," Sayuri chuckled, then glanced at Kigeki, who was zipping up her hot pink hoodie, "Say, Kigeki, what about you and Subaru? I noticed you guys cuddling up in the hot spring." Kigeki blushed lightly, smiling shyly as she clasped her hands behind her back, grinning now.

"I love Subaru! He's got the greatest smile! I love cuddling with him and I hope we can turn it into more than just a hot spring date when we get back to the village." She added, tilting her head from side to side.

"You guys are cute, I hope you two can make something of it." Yuriye smiled sweetly, cocking her head.

"What about you, Yuriye? You think something will develop with Nakusu?" Kigeki asked curiously.

"Well…" Yuriye shifted a bit, thinking about it.

"He didn't seem all that talkative." Rin pointed out coolly as she hung her towel on the rack.

"I don't know if it'd work out, to be honest, just saying my opinion," Nomi sighed, "Nakusu's so full of himself. He always makes fun of Kakashi-sensei and look where it got him, you know, the eye thing." She pointed to her right eye. Yuriye blinked a little and nibbled her lip.

"W-Well… I know… He's my teammate. He'll start some arguments here and there or say something to make everyone hate him for a bit, but… He's really nice if you get to know him and just a little shy… I really do want it to go somewhere, but… I'm… Sort of… Afraid he might not _like_ me like that." She admitted, shifting uncomfortably as she looked down at her feet. Sayuri blinked, then stood up, putting her fists on her hips.

"Whatever! Nakusu totally likes you like that and it's so obvious! I got over there sometimes to hang out with Shisui and Nakusu normally acts like a know-it-all jerk butt and I just wanna smack him sometimes! But I don't since I don't wanna make Shisui mad. When I see Nakusu around you, there's a little bit of a good side that shows and it means that he totally likes you more than a friend! Why wouldn't Nakusu like you? You're cute and funny and super nice! You freaked out the most when Nakusu lost his Sharingan." She added. Everyone knew that was a big deal. For an Uchiha to lose his Sharingan was like losing a part of himself. The Sharingan was the base for the Uchiha Clan's power and was known to have amazing abilities, despite its bad side effect.

"T-Thanks…" Yuriye managed, blushing red as she brought her knuckles to her mouth with embarrassment. Sayuri smiled lightly, tilting her head at her.

Within moments, the girls filed out of the changing rooms, the boys already waiting outside for them. Hikari basically tackled Ketsuraku, giggling as he hugged on her and told a couple short silly stories about the changing room. Sayuri glanced at Mitsuru, who looked back at her. They stared, then huffed and looked the other way before heading down the drive back into town. Everyone else walked off with either their sibling, date, or teammate, dispersing into town.

"Well, that was fun." Sayuri said at last. Mitsuru nodded.

"Yea. I haven't relaxed in a while… It was nice." He admitted. Sayuri grinned and opened her mouth to speak, but cut off as they heard sobbing. They shared looks and followed it to a window, ignoring the fact that they were eavesdropping. Inside a fancy hotel room, Hyuuga Hinata was standing with Mayu-sensei.

Hinata was dressed in a pitch black mourning kimono, the only color was the light lavender trail of the kimono and ribbons keeping her dark, purplish hair into ponytail of tight curls. She was holding a Kleenex over her nose while her husband stood beside her, dressed in his own set of mourning clothes with a black ribbon holding long, dark brown hair out of his face.

Mayu wore charcoal kimono top with black slacks and blue ninja sandals, her hair in a loose, inform bun, her expression sad as she put a hand on Hinata's shoulder. Hinata was gazing sadly at a festive yukata lying on the small bed before her. Mitsuru and Sayuri felt their stomachs sink sadly at the sight of the familiar yukata.

Uwasa's yukata that was meant for the festival.

The torso part was deep violet, matching a white obi with silver glittery patterns etched onto it and the sleeves of it were lavender, matching the hakama to go with it.

"_This is a waste of my time," Uwasa had complained when they went shopping for it, "We should be getting ready for the exams. We haven't even reported to Roku-sensei about our registration cards."_

"_Oh, take a chill pill," Sayuri had retorted smartly, huffing as she elbowed him, "We have plenty of time to report! Come on, try it on!"_

"_Yea, Uwasa! It's got great colors!" Mitsuru agreed with a laugh. Shisui giggled, covering his mouth. Uwasa rolled his eyes and went into the changing room, only to exit a while later dressed in his clothes again._

"_You jerk butt, you didn't even show us!" Sayuri cried._

"_You'll have to wait until the festival." Uwasa responded with an eye roll. Shisui pouted and folded his arms over his chest._

"_No fair!" He whined._

"_Uwasa, you're such an ass sometimes." Mitsuru huffed, but smirked anyway as this sparked in idea into his head to not show off his yukata either. Uwasa smirked at them._

"_It's a surprise. Patience is a virtue, crybaby and bragger." He told Mitsuru and Sayuri, who both twitched and scowled at him. Uwasa laughed lightly._

"I miss Uwasa…" Mitsuru murmured as he rested his chin on the windowsill. Sayuri felt her eyes well up with tears, but she quickly blinked them away as she gripped the sill.

"Me too, Mitsuru… Me too…"

****

**A/N: :) All done with this chapter! Sorry it took so long. O.o; Well, the first bits are happy, but the end made me a little sad. :( Especially if you listen to Sadness and Sorrow from the first Naruto OST during it… Well, the third part of the Chuunin Exams is nearing! Maybe not quite in the next chapter yet, though… I might stick some special bonus ones in there, but not too many! I am planning a series after I finish this one called Kage's Korner, which is basically a huge series of bonus chapters of deleted chapters, bloopers, sneak peeks at other spin off series, and more! So you have something to look forward to when this series ends, but that might not be until Christmas time at the rate I'm updating. xD;; Anyway, thanks uber much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	15. Chapter 15

**ANOTHER UPDATE! WOO!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this chapter, except the ones that I already claimed as my own.**

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Chapter Fifteen: **Uwasa's Murderer! Grounded From Dolls!**

"Wake up, stupid… Hey, stupid! Get up! Dad's making breakfast!" Haruke barked in annoyance as he glared down at his older brother, who was sprawled on his bed, half asleep and now waking up.

"Ugh, Haruke, get off… You fatass…" Mitsuru groaned into his pillow, grabbing for his blanket to hide his face. Haruke glared and slid off the bed, turning to yell for his parents, but paused, smirking before turning around and ripping hard at the blankets, causing them to go flying off his brother. Mitsuru yelped and flailed, shooting up. His long dark hair was disheveled and he was wearing only a pair of silky black boxers.

"Haruke! What if Miwa or mom came in here?" He demanded angrily. Haruke shrugged.

"So what? Mom freaking gave birth to you, shouldn't matter."

"… Gross. I don't wanna think about that- You idiot!" Mitsuru yelled angrily, catching sight of Haruke's finger. Haruke frowned and looked down, then blinked in surprise to find that having torn off the blankets had caused his middle fingernail to completely rip off, gushing thick beads of red blood onto the floor.

"Oh, great!" Mitsuru threw up his hands, then scrambled out of bed. Haruke went to mock his brother for being annoying, but yelped as Mitsuru scooped him up under the arms and hauled him into the bathroom.

"Gross! Don't touch me! You probably touched Sayuri with those hands!"

"What's it matter, you dumbass? You can't FEEL it anyway!"

"Asshole!"

"Watch your mouth!"

"Make me!" Haruke stuck out his tongue and Mitsuru twitched as he set Haruke on the counter by the sink, opening the medicine cabinet to grab some gauze, but he stopped at Haruke's immature refusal and gave up trying to control himself. He backhanded Haruke hard across the face, knocking his face the other way before continuing to grab some gauze.

Haruke rolled his eyes and looked back flatly, his cheek visibly swelling red.

"What was that? I've seen girls hit harder!"

"Quit testing me or I'll rip your head off!"

"I'll tell mom on you." Haruke threatened. Mitsuru smirked and glared at him, taking his finger as he forcefully wrapped gauze around it.

"Is that what you'll do? Che, even if you didn't have CIPA, you could never be a shinobi, always tattling on mom and dad like that. So stupid, you really are stupid, Haruke." He mocked before he tied the gauze around Haruke's finger, putting it away. Haruke stared at him, then down at his finger. He frowned, watching the white medical cloth steadily grow red with blood before he clenched his fist and hopped off the counter.

"And where are you going?" Mitsuru demanded as he turned around. Haruke glared at him from the doorway, holding his hand to his chest.

"Away from you. You're a jerk, Mitsuru. I don't even _want_ to be a shinobi anymore! Ninja this, ninja that, right, wrong! It's all you stupid ninja talk about! You guys are so worthless, it makes me sick!" He spat and whipped around, bolting from the bathroom before Mitsuru could grab him. Mitsuru glared after him and rolled his eyes before he settled for showering.

He dress in his light gray shirt with the black hood and his loose dark gray shorts that had the sewn slits up the sides, pulling on his matching sandals as well as his black elbow and knee pads. He glanced in the mirror before tying his headband tightly around his waist before walking into the dining room, where his family was already sitting down for breakfast.

"Sleep good?" Ruriko asked as they ate their simple meal of noodles. Mitsuru nodded a little, then glanced over to an empty seat, which he guessed was Haruke's. He frowned and sat down to eat.

"The festival was so fun, Mitsuru," Miwa sang happily as she slammed her hands down on "You missed it! Manabu and I won toy doggies! They look almost like Roku-sensei's doggy that he has in his living room at his apartment!"

"That's cool, where did you win them?" Mitsuru asked innocently as he ate his noodles.

"A shuriken throwing contest!" Miwa boosted.

"Manabu threw shuriken?" Mitsuru asked perplexed as he looked at his youngest brother, who shifted a little in his seat and blushed lightly.

"Mm, I practice by myself sometimes…" Manabu mumbled shyly, making Miwa grin and Mitsuru smile lightly. Ruriko smiled at her children before one by one they left. Mitsuru left first to buy some groceries while Miwa and Manabu went off to explore the hotel. Ruriko helped Itachi clear the table and wash the dishes.

"Ruriko," Itachi said quietly, "You acted a bit strange and stand-offish last night, is something wrong?" Ruriko glanced up at him, then back down at the soapy water, frowning.

"Well… I know I shouldn't think about it, but I really can't help it. I met, uh, my cousin last night at the shop we were at with the other sensei. His name is Kazuhiko and he's about fifteen… Something about his attire bothered me."

"What do you mean?"

"… He was wearing duct tape along the sides of his shorts. I noticed that a bit of it was torn as well." Ruriko murmured. Itachi turned off the water and stared into the sink.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"… We should go report this to Mayu as well as the team of Getsugakure Jounin investigating the death."

"Agreed."

"We'll leave in a bit, so take a shower. I'll get dressed in something presentable." Itachi added, glancing down at his black and navy plaid pajamas before he went to his room while Ruriko turned off the sink and went to shower. She pulled on her fishnet and dark orchid top, zipping the small bit in the back before tugging on her black pants with the fishnet bottoms. She jerked her high heeled boots on and slid into her long black jacket, then slipping the fishnet gloves onto her hands and clasping the metal braces around her wrists.

She glanced up to see Itachi walk out of their room. He wore the normal attire for a Konohagakure Jounin, except the sleeves of his jumpsuit were longer to the tips of his fingers and the collar of the jumpsuit seemed to be a bit wider while he visibly wore the old Akatsuki straps that held his black sandals to his feet.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." They both nodded to each other, heading for the door. Ruriko scribbled a quick note down, sticking it on the wall, glancing back toward the living room. She knew Haruke was still in the hotel, but probably hiding after the argument he had with Mitsuru.

"Haruke! Your dad and I are leaving for a bit! Stay here and please be careful! Mitsuru should be back soon with some groceries!" She called and went out the door after Itachi, shutting it and locking it as she knew Mitsuru had his own set of keys for the room. They walked out of the hotel and shot off toward the site of the investigation.

It didn't take long to arrive in the large dome-like room where the first exams had been taken. Getsugakure Jounin swarmed the area, some holding clipboards, others small bags of possible evidence, and files. Mayu was standing near Tonbo, holding a clipboard and flipping through the papers on it. She glanced up to see Ruriko and Itachi approaching and sighed a little.

"Ruriko, Itachi. I was wondering when you two would come this way. I figured it'd be soon… I know you can't stay away from a crime scene." Mayu smirked, winking at Ruriko, who smiled lightly before glancing toward the door to the arena with a grim expression. Itachi followed her eyes before looking at Mayu.

"We came with some new information that you might be able to use in the investigation." He informed her calmly. Mayu blinked and stared at them.

"Really? Oh, please say it's helpful. The Hyuuga Clan is a wreck at the discovery of Uwasa's death as well as his body's disappearance… They're talking about getting revenge by killing the murderer of Uwasa." She murmured, averting her eyes. By the look on her face, Ruriko could tell she was actually considering the idea as well.

"I met someone last night… His name is Tsukuyomi Kazuhiko. He's my cousin. He's about fifteen and I noticed that when I met him, he had duct tape running along the sides of his shorts… I don't know him well enough to tell if he could have done it, but there's a strong possibility. I was going to request a mission to interrogate him and find out. I also wanted to ask if I could please examine the crime scene." She explained firmly. Mayu's frowned deepened, but she nodded.

"You're pretty good in that field, so please, go ahead, but be careful not to touch anything… I guess they're sending some more Jounin from Konohagakure who specialize in this field to come in and look around."

"Understood." Ruriko nodded. Mayu gestured toward the door before glancing at Tonbo, who agreed to lead the way. The four Jounin walked into the large dome-like arena before shooting off toward the crime scene. The dome was eerily silent, some Jounin moving around, carrying dolls and mannequins as well as cleaning blood off the spots. Ruriko grimaced and kept her eyes on the path up ahead until they were led to a small shack, where they had to duck slightly because of the low ceiling.

Tonbo and Mayu stopped at a door where two samurai were guarding it carefully. Their gold eyes followed them into the room carefully. Ruriko made a face at them before looking at the crime scene, frowning.

Yellow police tape was wrapped around four posts in the floor around a small portion of dried blood.

Ruriko approached it, getting on one knee and peering down at the blood with narrowed eyes and a frown.

"It's even more difficult to figure out which way the body was taken as the blood looks like it just falls straight down," Mayu explained as she went over the report, "There are no fingerprints, no blood smears or spatters anywhere else in the room and the only other evidence is the string of duct tape by the doorframe." She pointed toward the door, making one of the samurai back up so Itachi could study it.

The long sticky thread of duct tape hung loosely off a splinter in the doorway, fluttering slightly at Itachi's breath as he leaned into it.

"The last people to see Hyuuga Uwasa's corpse," Tonbo began stoically, "Were Konohagakure Genin, Team 13. Tsukuyomi Ketsuraku, Tsukuyomi Setsuna, and Haruno Mitasu. Apparently after Hatake Sayuri and Uchiha Mitsuru fled the shack, Team 13 came in to take care of the body. They left for a moment to find a tarp to cover it with, but by the time they returned, the body was completely gone. They said there was more blood on the floor than before, but the body itself as well as several torn off pieces were missing."

"Don't say corpse…" Mayu murmured and shuddered, shaking her head. Ruriko frowned as she peered down at the blood, her eyes narrowed before she lifted her eyes up at the ceiling. Cobwebs and dust hung around the ceiling, the flimsy wooden boards only creaking once. Ruriko stood up and stared at the ceiling closely, her eyes scanning the dust.

"Something's wrong with the dust up there…"

"It's an old place several people have walked in, so maybe it was stirred up." Tonbo offered, but Ruriko shook her head, bringing a finger to her chin thoughtfully.

"No. That's the problem. There have been too many people coming in and out of here, not to mention, there was a battle in here. There shouldn't BE any cobwebs or dust, particularly dust swirled around like that." She explained, then looked down at the floor where the blood spatters sat. She got back down, reaching a finger out to touch it, but Tonbo moved quickly.

He caught her sharply by the wrist, just under the metal clasp. Ruriko winced and in a flash, Itachi had his hand to Tonbo's throat. Tonbo frowned, glancing at Itachi sternly. Itachi kept his Sharingan eyes narrowed, his fingertips touching Tonbo's neck, which bled a hairline.

"We said don't touch the evidence." Tonbo stated.

"You were going to attack." Itachi stated simply. Ruriko blinked and looked at Tonbo, who averted his eyes before letting go of Ruriko's wrist and standing up. Itachi backed away, letting Ruriko stand up beside him. Tonbo sighed, looking at the blood spatters.

"I was going to attack her because she was going to do something disgusting. I don't know this kid nor do I care to, but he was still a child and you shouldn't go around trying to lick their blood, especially if its old." He muttered in distaste. Itachi looked at Ruriko, who stiffened.

"I was going to taste it to see if I could find anything out by the taste. It might have a flavor in it that might lead me toward the person who stole his body." Ruriko insisted.

"I don't see how that'd work." Mayu mused, cocking a brow at Ruriko, who shrugged.

"I'll show you if you'd let me. It's not like I'm contaminating all the evidence, just a small portion. It could help me find Uwasa's body. You're related to Uwasa, yes? Don't you want to know what happened to him?" Ruriko asked Mayu with a frown. Mayu stared at her for a while, then looked down at the blood, then back again and sighed.

"Just a small portion, a very small portion." She murmured. Tonbo glared at her, but said nothing as he stepped back. Ruriko stepped forward and got on her knees behind the tape, reaching in and scraping her finger across the wood. The dried blood flaked off and she brought it to her mouth, licking. She waited a moment, then made an expression of disgust.

"It's too old… You guys should have let me in here earlier, then I would have been able to find more out. All we have now is that obviously someone used a Body Flicker Technique to get in and out of the room and whoever it was is very skilled in stealth… And is carrying something sour." She added.

"Sour?" Mayu asked, confused. Ruriko nodded, leaning back away from the tape with a frown.

"Like, not flavor sour, but… Power sour."

"Power sour? I don't understand. That's Uwasa's blood…." Mayu's voice trailed off as her eyes widened slightly in realization. Tonbo blinked and stared at Ruriko, who stood up to the face them.

"This isn't Uwasa's blood. Not all of it, at least. The rest of it belongs to someone carrying a bitter power, bitter resentment… Something bad."

**Getsugakure Village**

Mitsuru sighed as he paid for the groceries, hooking the plastic sack around his wrist before putting his hands in his shorts' pockets. He walked out of the shop, heading down the street back toward the hotel. He was hoping to have spotted Sayuri, but he'd only seen Sakumo, who said Sayuri was still asleep through the afternoon, having exhausted herself the night before.

He'd gotten an odd look from Sakumo during the talk. He got the feeling that Sakumo was trying to say it was his fault, but who knew? Only Sakumo and Mitsuru didn't want to pressure the guy. He looked like he was in a hurry, which was a rarity for the laid back, modest guy.

Mitsuru sighed again tiredly, turning a corner in the street and smacking into someone and making his heart jump into his throat. He was hardly relieved when he saw his uncle Sasuke standing there. Sasuke was dressed in his average Jounin flak jacket over a navy turtleneck, black pants with white diamonds trailing down the sides and a pair of ninja boots with no heel and shin guards that were also covering his forearms now.

"U-Uncle." Mitsuru managed. Sasuke blinked a bit sleepily down at him before nodding.

"Afternoon, Mitsuru… I stopped by your hotel room to talk to Itachi and Ruriko, but they weren't there. Any idea where they went?" He asked. Mitsuru shifted a bit uncomfortably. It wasn't that he hated his uncle, but Sasuke gave him the creeps. He was always so calm and even when he lost his cool he was scary. He'd seen Sasuke and his mother get into countless arguments, sometimes about completely stupid and irrelevant things.

"Uh, no… They were home when I left… Maybe they went to investigate that crime scene…"

"Oh… I forgot to say, I'm sorry about you losing your teammate," Sasuke muttered, averting his eyes, "I heard he was a rather good shinobi. An upcoming prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan." Mitsuru nodded stiffly, biting into his lip at the thought of Uwasa. His teammate's body flashed into his mind, that Kabuto guy practically possessing his corpse, and Hinata's mourning sobs.

"Sorry," Sasuke said, noticing Mitsuru's tension, "I probably shouldn't have brought it up… I got the same reaction from Sayuri, Shisui, and Nakusu… I was surprised about Nakusu. He's normally rather collected about things."

"Oh."

"Anyway, talk to you later, Mitsuru… Be careful." Sasuke added and reached out, patting Mitsuru on the head before walking on. Mitsuru blinked in surprise and whipped around to watch Sasuke get swallowed up by the crowd. He was rather perplexed that Sasuke even spoke to him so casually, well, somewhat. Sasuke was normally cold toward him and basically anyone, who wasn't Itachi or Sakura.

Mitsuru turned back around and headed toward the hotel, using his keys to get in. He noticed the sticky note on the wall, reading: _Little Mitsuru, your father and I went to investigate the crime scene. Haruke's still home and Miwa and Manabu are running around the hotel. Be sure to have them inside for lunch. If we're not back soon, call your uncle Akira to come check up on Haruke. Love you, mom._

Mitsuru sighed, irritated at the comment about Haruke before he crumpled the note up and went to put the groceries away. He walked past the living room to find Haruke sitting in front of a TV, but not quite watching it. Instead, Haruke was sewing up another doll.

"What are you doing?" Mitsuru demanded. Haruke glared at him, holding the doll away.

"Making something, it's none of your business!"

"If you're making another voodoo doll, mom's gonna be mad. She told you no more dolls for, like, a month after you used it on Kaoru."

"Why should she care? Kaoru stole her diary anyway!"

"Haruke!" Mitsuru snapped and snatched the doll away, ignoring the fact that he had stabbed the needle into Haruke's hand. Haruke jerked the needle out, staring flatly at the pinprick of blood that oozed across his palm before he looked up to glare at his older brother angrily.

Mitsuru stared at the doll, dropping the sack of groceries in his hand, his face paling visibly.

"H-Haruke… How do you know this guy?" He managed, staring down at the voodoo that uncannily resembled the Kumogakure Genin, Harsuzoi Aoi. The doll was detailed down to the paleness of the skin, the dark shaggy hair and a long tongue that hung out the corner of its grinning mouth.

The doll wore the same dark gray, almost black, long sleeved zipper that ended at his wrists with the same rips in the arms that looked like tiger stripes, particularly the three tears in the back. The fishnet shirt was there as well, obviously cut from another shirt. The loose, dark gray pants to the doll's ankles with rips along each leg, black sandals made of rubber and a headband around his waist. A small knife from the kitchen was strapped onto its back to replace the katana and the same heavy weapons holster was attached to his waist.

"Give me that," Haruke snapped and tore the doll away before sticking the needle in the doll's stomach calmly now, "I saw him walking through town with his sensei, but he knew I was watching him and looked up at me. He's a freaking psychopath… But I like him."

"N-No! Get rid of it! Throw it away! Burn it! I don't want it in this hotel room, ever!" Mitsuru yelled angrily, clenching his fists. Haruke smiled down at the doll before glancing out the corner of his eye.

"Why not? Just because he's the guy who killed Uwasa?" He asked dully. Mitsuru blinked.

"H-How… How do you know that?" He demanded.

"Duh. I'm not stupid like you are, big brother. I know that Aoi killed Uwasa, why do you think I made a doll of him? Sure, I liked Uwasa. He was actually smart and pretty cool, but this Aoi guy is scary… I want a doll of him. And nothing you say is gonna make me throw him out." Haruke added rudely as he hopped off the sofa.

Mitsuru gritted his teeth and reached out, grabbing the front of Haruke's shirt and whipping him around, jerking him up off his feet. Haruke glared at him, but a smirk was still on his face.

"What're you gonna do, hit me? What use would that be? I can't feel it anyway and you'd just be wasting your time." He taunted. Mitsuru glared at him.

"I don't care WHAT you say! Uwasa was my friend, you little brat! That asshole Aoi or whatever his name was is going to be slaughtered like a damn pig for killing him! Sayuri and I will see to it too! Why would you ever even think about liking that worthless shit? If you ever met this guy, he'd probably beat you to a bloody pulp!" He shouted.

Haruke grinned almost evilly, his eyes narrowed teasingly.

"Cool. Now I really wanna meet him."

"You're sick, you know that? I'll freaking slam your head through a window! Throw the doll away!" Mitsuru shouted and grabbed for the doll. Haruke gritted his teeth and jerked the doll away. He brought his mouth around and bit Mitsuru in the hand. Mitsuru yelped and let him go. Haruke touched the floor and whipped around, running for the room he shared with Mitsuru.

"Get back here! GIVE ME THAT DOLL!" Mitsuru practically screamed. Haruke laughed.

"NO! He's mine! Both the doll and the real guy! Everyone I make is mine!" He yelled over his shoulder before running into the room and slamming the door shut, locking it. He ran to the other side of the room and jerked out his suitcase, throwing it open.

It wasn't filled with clothes or anything that would last him the vacation here. Nothing, but countless dolls that he couldn't bear to be away from. His family sat there comfortably, huddled in a special pocket while friends of his family also sat in wait. Haruke smirked and looked at the Aoi doll.

"Welcome to my family." He stated and dropped the doll inside, slamming the top of the suitcase shut and shoving it back under his bed. He looked up to hear Mitsuru screaming at him from the other side of the door and his fists banging on it.

"That's getting annoying…" Haruke muttered and was very tempted to pull out the suitcase and grab the Mitsuru doll, but instead, he shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed quietly. He smirked to himself proudly, but it fell away at the sound of the front door opening. Haruke leapt off the bed and went to the door, hearing Mitsuru shout his name again and slam a fist on the door.

"Mitsuru, that's enough!" Ruriko's voice commanded.

"MOM! OPEN THE DOOR! Haruke's-Haruke's a fuc-fucking…!" Mitsuru couldn't even spit out the sentences before he screamed again angrily, slamming his fist on the door. Haruke yelped a little and fell back on the floor, glaring at the door. On the other side, Ruriko had caught Mitsuru's flailing fists tightly in her grip.

"Mitsuru, stop! Doing this isn't going to help! And in case you didn't notice, that's not OUR door!" She snapped angrily and jerked Mitsuru back against her, holding him tightly and looking up at the door, then at Itachi, who sighed and went to the door, knocking with his knuckles.

"Haruke, open this door right now." Itachi ordered calmly, so calmly it was a bit frightening. Haruke gulped and stared at the door, then gritted his teeth and got up, throwing the door open and glaring at his father and mother. Mitsuru growled furiously, his nails digging into his palms as he clenched his fists, ready to beat his brother to a pulp.

"What is going on? How many times do we have to tell you to not provoke your brother? It's dangerous and immature." Itachi informed sternly, his arms folded over his chest. Haruke twitched, then just smiled lightly as he clasped his hands behind his back, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't even know why he's so mad. I was just doing my own thing when he went after me." He responded coolly.

"He's lying," Mitsuru snarled viciously, jerking at Ruriko's grip, "He was making another fucking stupid doll!"

"Mitsuru, watch your mouth." Ruriko scolded.

"It's TRUE! He was making a doll of the fucking stupid asshole BASTARD that killed Uwasa! Make him get rid of it!" Mitsuru screamed, squirming to get at Haruke, who took a step back, glaring at him hatefully. Ruriko blinked, then jerked her head up toward Haruke.

"Haruke! How could you do that? You know Mitsuru's sensitive about Uwasa! And last time I checked, you were pretty upset about him too." She scolded harshly, now hugging Mitsuru more than holding him back. It only calmed him slightly. Tears were already welled up in Mitsuru's eyes, but he was more angry than hurt by the situation.

"I did like Uwasa," Haruke drawled innocently, "He was smarter than a lot of the dummies Mitsuru hangs out with… But something about that guy, the one that killed him, made me want to make a doll of him. It's not my fault. If something in me says make the doll, I do it."

"Haruke, that's no excuse," Itachi put in firmly, "And knowing you, you were probably teasing Mitsuru about it. Give me the doll. I'm throwing it away." He held out a hand and Haruke's eyes widened as if someone had just told him he was going to die.

"W-What? NO! It's mine!" Haruke cried, clenching his little fists at his sides, gritting his teeth.

"Haruke." Itachi warned, but Ruriko stood up, gently releasing Mitsuru, who was calming down only slightly.

"It's probably in his suitcase. I'll get it. Make sure they don't kill each other." She muttered and walked into the room. Haruke whipped around and grabbed his mother around the waist tightly.

"NO! Don't touch it, it's mine! I won't take him out anymore! I promise! Just leave him alone!" He wailed. Ruriko winced a little, then looked at Itachi helplessly. Itachi sighed and bent down, prying Haruke off her before nodding for her to continue.

Ruriko walked to the other side of the bed and poked around until she found the suitcase. She opened it up and blinked, her jaw dropping.

"Haruke…" She managed. Itachi frowned.

"What is it?"

"He didn't… He didn't pack ANYTHING, except his dolls!" Ruriko exclaimed in surprise, picking up a doll of herself and looking it over before setting it back in to look at the others. They were all carefully made with silky hair sewn onto their heads, button eyes and differently shaped mouths. She frowned and slammed the suitcase shut.

"I'm taking these away Haruke. Judging by the looks of 'em, they're all rigged for your jutsu. You can have them back after you decide to behave and when I'm done removing the blood and hair. Except the doll of Aoi. You're not getting him back." She stated as she picked up the suitcase. Haruke's eyes widened even more and he seemed utterly horrified, squirming frantically in Itachi's grip and grasping for the suitcase.

"No, no, no! They're mine! They're all mine! Give them back!" Haruke shouted angrily, trying to rip away and run for the suitcase as his mother walked out of the room, heading toward her own.

"Wait until I have my door locked." Ruriko told Itachi, who nodded. Ruriko was just about to her door when Haruke screamed at the top of his lungs, making her jump and whip around to stare at him. Mitsuru stared at Haruke as well, noticing the familiar red of Sharingan in Haruke's eyes.

"NO! GIVE THEM BACK! THOSE ARE MINE!"

"If you hadn't of teased Mitsuru, none of this would've happened," Ruriko said at last, frowning at Haruke glared at her, "I'm sorry, Haruke. I usually let you do what you want or let you off with a warning, but this time is the last time. You're not getting your dolls back."

"Haruke, turn off your Sharingan." Itachi commanded, brushing his hand over Haruke's eyes, making Haruke growl. As soon as Ruriko stepped into her room, Haruke managed to rip free from Itachi's grip, but he ran straight for the apartment door, throwing it open.

"I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF YOU AND I HOPE YOU DIE, ESPECIALLY YOU, MITSURU!" He yelled and slammed the door shut. Ruriko flinched and looked at Itachi, who nodded and went after Haruke, taking Mitsuru with him. Mitsuru grimaced.

_Maybe I shouldn't of overreacted… No, Haruke has no right to do that. He always thinks he can do what he wants without getting in trouble… It's like mom said. This is the last time…_

**LATER IN GETSUGAKURE**

Haruke sat in the corner of a small alleyway that led into a crowded street near some shops. He hugged his knees to his chest, digging his nails into the legs of his pants. His teeth gritted and blood dripped past them as he had unknowing bit his tongue while yelling back at the apartment.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID Mitsuru! He got my dolls taken away… The jerk, brat, crybaby… He's not my brother and he never will be. Not if I can help it… I hope he loses the Chuunin Exams and I hope he dies! I hope that Aoi guy freaking kills him!_ He thought angrily, glaring at the dirt. He flung his legs forward, knocking up some dirt.

He huffed, then paused to stare down at the dirt before reaching up to touch his eye. He hadn't even felt his Sharingan turn on at all. He didn't even know he had activated it, which made his eyes widen slightly before narrowing. He thrust his fist down into the dirt, causing his knuckles to scrap and bleed, but he didn't notice. He sighed and lifted his eyes up to the orange, bluish, and purple sky. He frowned slowly, then rose to his feet carefully. He blinked when he noticed his blood dripping from his knuckles. He rolled his eyes, once again growing extremely angry.

"Stupid!" He barked at himself and slammed his fist toward the wall, but stopped immediately when he noticed someone standing just a couple feet away from him. Haruke looked up, finding a smirking face looking down at him.

"Che, if it isn't my bratty little stalker." Harsuzoi Aoi stated with a cocky and wild grin as he leaned on the wall. Haruke stared up at him, completely frozen for a moment. _H-Holy crap… I-I didn't even notice him there…_ He thought, then finally got his voice back.

"I wasn't stalking you! I was watching you!"

"What's the fucking difference? Either way, it was fucking creepy. Spill, ya brat, or I'll spill your guts. I'll probably do it anyway. I don't give a shit if you're only up to my damn waist!" Aoi laughed. Haruke smirked, but very lightly. This guy gave him the creeps.

"You can hurt me all you want, I don't care… And I was watching you because I wanted to know who Uwasa's murderer looked like." He answered. Aoi's amber eyes glowed mischievously.

"Hehe, you're talkin' about the Hyuuga kid? Shit, kid. I've gotten fucking lectured for that, had to bullshit more than half of it… Wait, can't hurt you my ass! You're fucking daring me to?" He demanded, but he seemed highly amused, his hand shooting out and catching Haruke by the throat. Haruke just stared at him, unable to feel the nails that dug into his throat, but he found himself having trouble sucking air into his lungs.

"Let's see you talk big without your throat." Aoi mocked and squeezed. Haruke winced, but only because he had trouble responding to Aoi's threats. However, it wasn't just his lungs swelling, but his stomach too.

_Mitsuru was right when he said this guy was a psychopath! Even so, he's the first one to keep holding onto me, strangling me… Ugh, I can't even breath! I can't do anything! Am I really going to die now? After everything I wanted to do?_ Haruke thought in a panic, seeing the edges of his vision grow dark. He finally flung his hands up and bumped Aoi's hand slightly, just enough so he could bit down on Aoi's hand.

The nails ripped away, scratching deep into Haruke's neck and leaving bloody red marks along his throat. Haruke gasped, letting the air rush into his lungs as he patted his chest.

"Holy fuck, you bit me! Shit, you're related to that dog from the exams, aren't you?" Aoi demanded. Haruke blinked, letting the blood from biting Aoi's hand drip down the side of his mouth.

"Related…? You mean, Mitsuru?"

"I don't know what his fucking name was… I just know I wanna fucking pay him back for this!" Aoi retorted and jerked up the sleeve on his zipper, revealing a large, wrinkled wound on his arm with some bandages loosely tied over it.

"I missed that…" Haruke murmured thoughtfully, remembering his doll. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Aoi move to grab him again, but he jumped back just in time.

"Come here," Aoi smirked, "I think I have a fucking great idea that includes you." He grabbed Haruke's jaw, covering his mouth. Haruke's eyes widened.

_Crap._

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: WOO. Some in-between Chuunin Exam drama. O:! I don't have much else to say, except I really hope I didn't mess up Haruke saying that he 'felt' anything, if you remember. Haruke has CIPA. I explained it in the first chapter. Basically where he can't feel any pain, nor temperature change or sweat… Anyway, yup! Thanks so much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	16. Chapter 16

**UUUUUUUUUUPDAAAAAAATE!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters created in this fan fiction, except the ones I already claimed as my own, which will be repeated in the next arc!**

****

Chapter Sixteen: **The Psychotic Psycho! Meeting the Servant.**

"Haruke!" Mitsuru called and frowned, stopping in the middle of street to scan it. There was no sign of Haruke anywhere. Itachi came around a corner, approaching him with a faintly worried expression.

"You didn't find him either?" He asked. Mitsuru shook his head, grimacing.

"I was hoping you did."

"No. I asked around to the shop owners and other sensei, but he's nowhere… I'm starting to get a very unsettled feeling. We have to keep looking… Haruke could be hurt and not even know it." Itachi added, definitely sounding worried now as he scanned the streets carefully. Mitsuru winced, then looked the other way, then back at his father.

"Do you want me to go tell mom? Maybe she might know where he went."

"All right, but hurry and look for him while on the way back to the hotel." Itachi told him quickly. Mitsuru nodded and they both shot off in separate directions. Mitsuru pushed off the ground and took to the rooftops, using them to avoid the crowds of the streets. He landed on the roof of the hotel and managed to slip in through the balcony, finding Miwa and Manabu back in the room.

"Mitsuru!" Miwa sang happily, but blinked when she noticed Mitsuru's grim expression.

"What's wrong, Mitsuru?" Manabu asked uneasily, watching his big brother stalk toward their parents' bedroom.

"Haruke's missing." Mitsuru stated before knocking on the bedroom door. Miwa pouted, folding her arms over her chest.

"Chya! I bet ya anything that buttface is probably making you guys worry on purpose! I say leave 'im alone!" She retorted in annoyance, cocking her head. Manabu shifted uncomfortably, twiddling his fingers together.

"Miwa, don't be like that… Haruke's our big brother too." He pointed out. Miwa scowled, giving Manabu a little bop on the head and making him yelp.

"Don't be a dummy, Manabu! Haruke's a bad big brother! He's always being such a meanie face and he makes those scary dolls of everyone! He almost got you hurt lots of times too!" She stated with a huff, folding her arms over her chest. Manabu rubbed the rub of his head with a little sad pout before watching Mitsuru stand at their parents' door.

"Miwa," Mitsuru murmured at last, "Manabu's right… Haruke may act like a hothead sometimes, but… He really does care about you guys… He's just bitter because they won't let him become a shinobi." Miwa blinked, then frowned looking at her feet while Manabu sighed quietly, hiding his mouth behind his hand-hidden sleeves.

"It's not our faults, though," Miwa complained softly, clasping her hands behind her back, "Why is Haruke always being mean to us? It's not like we said he couldn't be a shinobi."

"I guess he just thinks everyone thinks like the village elders, the other sensei, and the Sixth Hokage." Mitsuru said quietly.

"I-I don't!" Manabu cried. Miwa beamed at him, tilting her head. Mitsuru smiled lightly.

"I don't either, Manabu."

"Same here!" Miwa declared proudly and put an arm around Manabu's neck, making him yelp a little in surprise. Mitsuru looked up as the door to his parents' room opened and Ruriko stepped out, just sliding back into her jacket. She blinked, looking down at her son.

"Mitsuru-"

"Mom, Haruke's missing. Dad and I looked all over this part of the village, but he's no where. He told me to come have you help look." Mitsuru explained quickly. Ruriko's eyes widened and she blinked before nodding hurriedly.

"Okay, okay. Miwa, Manabu, come with me, I'm going to take you to your uncle Akira's while Mitsuru and I go look for Haruke." She stated.

"Whaaat? But we wanna help too!" Miwa cried. Manabu averted his eyes and just nodded, watching as Ruriko hurriedly went to the door. Miwa and Manabu ran after her while Mitsuru took up the end of their group.

_Haruke, please, honey… Please be okay._ Ruriko thought as she clenched her fists.

**Somewhere Else…**

_Squeak, weeeeek, rrrrreeet…!_

The noise was obnoxious. Haruke managed to open his eyes sleepily and found himself staring into the face of a fat hairy rat. The rodent's red eyes went wide and it shrieked, whipping around and darting away. Haruke blinked, watching the black furry thing run into a hole in a nearby wall.

He lifted his eyes and found himself staring at the inside of a sewer. He grimaced in disgust and pushed himself up onto his knees slowly, hearing the bones in his body grind and crunch. He frowned, noticing blood was splattered onto the front of his shirt, but from the looks of it, it wasn't his.

He hummed a moan tiredly as he propped himself up on his knees, trying to pull his hands forward to check for more wounds, but he found his wrists tightly bound behind his back. He frowned and looked forward down the long, round tunnel of the sewer.

He was seated on a platform just in the thick gunk that swirled around him that reeked of waste and rot. Haruke wrinkled his nose up and shook his head lightly before letting his eyes trail some more. There was no sign of Aoi anywhere, but that didn't mean he wasn't there.

Haruke frowned, looking up at the ceiling in annoyance. _None of this would have happened if Mitsuru had just shut his damn mouth about my dolls… And if mom hadn't taken my doll of Aoi away. I could've easily made him leave me alone…_ He thought, aggravated.

He paused, lowering his eyes to the platform in time to see another rat scamper out, the skid to a halt to stare back at him in frozen terror. Haruke narrowed his eyes at it and lunged forward, aiming to bit it. The rat screeched and slashed its tiny claws across Haruke's nose just as Haruke bit into its belly. He bit down hard, unable to feel the frantic slashing and biting of the creature.

He smashed his teeth down on the thing until it fell limp. He spat it out, frowning at the thing, then looked up to see another one scamper out hurriedly. Haruke spat blood in its direction, causing it to scream and run back into the hole in the wall. He rolled his eyes and struggled to get to his feet, gritting his teeth. He looked around, then walked up to the wall, scaling the small little strip of floor that ran along the wall of the sewer.

He stepped on a small piece, but it cracked under his weight and crumbled. Haruke yelped and swayed, quickly leaping back onto the platform. He glared at the thing, then whipped around, pacing a little. He stopped as he heard the sound of people moving overhead. He lifted his eyes, but they shot back down toward the thick disgusting water below. It was slowly draining away, inch by inch.

Haruke's eyes widened as he got on his knees to peer down, ignoring the reeking stench as he peered in. He frowned, then slowly shot upright, whipping around to stare down the tunnel as he heard the sound of rushing water.

He watched as pipes shuddered and shot dark, murky water into the sewers as soon as the filth was sucked down the drain. Haruke scrambled to his feet, looking up at the ceiling before he parted his lips in a scream.

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" He gasped for air, then whipped around and hopped off the edge of the platform onto the floor, running down the filling tunnel. The dark water splashed up around his ankles and pant legs. He scrambled to jump on another platform, but it came far over his head. He glared up at the edge, then heard the loud crashing of water and spun around in time to see water flowing over the top of the platform he had been standing on earlier. Haruke stared, backing up with his back against the side of the platform behind him. His eyes widened.

_Am I going to die?_

**MEANWHILE**

Mitsuru skidded to a stop, his eyes darting back and forth before he rounded another corner quickly, pushing up off the ground and shooting up onto a rooftop for a better view of the streets. He gritted his teeth, scanning the streets, but seeing nothing. He spun around, but stopped, hearing a faint cry.

He jerked his head up and shot off the rooftop, landing in an alleyway. He frowned, looking up and down, but not seeing a thing. He started to head down the alleyway when he heard the sound of rushing water from beneath him. He blinked and peered down into a sewer gate to see water rushing by.

"Huh…" Mitsuru started to lift his eyes up when he heard another yell of desperation and annoyance.

"Let me out of here!" Haruke's voice was distinct. Mitsuru skidded back and tore the top off the sewer gate, slipping in and swinging around, catching a pipe along the ceiling to be careful and not get sopping wet. He saw Haruke struggling to keep his head above the water.

"Haruke! Hold on!" He shouted. Haruke blinked and looked up at him in surprise before nodding, grimacing as water splashed up in his face, his body slamming into the platform behind him, on the verge of carrying him over.

Mitsuru let go of the pipe and dove into the water, wincing as his body splashed into its murky depths. He resurfaced and managed to wade over to Haruke, who was spitting the water angrily from his mouth.

"It's about time you found me!" Haruke snapped.

"Shut up!" Mitsuru snapped back and caught Haruke around the waist before pushing off the platform top as they were washed over. He caught a pipe with his hand, wincing before glancing down at Haruke, who was still spitting up the water. His eyes widened.

"Haruke…" He managed. The wire around Haruke's wrists were so tight that blood was just oozing past, the skin around it dark and almost purplish. Blood was also caked to his feet, probably coming from underneath them. Mitsuru winced and looked up for another sewer gate, his eyes spotting one.

"Hold on a sec." He told his brother and still kept his grip on Haruke with one arm while using his hand to slowly rip the wire off his wrists. Haruke frowned.

"What're you doing?"

"Can you move your fingers?"

"Hm? Not really… Oh, wait. Yea, a little."

"Hang onto me as tight as you can." Mitsuru ordered. Haruke glared at him for a moment, uneasily before rolling his eyes and obeying, holding onto Mitsuru's waist. Mitsuru made a hand sign, jerking his head up and thrusting his fist into the ceiling. It trembled slightly before breaking apart, revealing warm sunshine outside. Mitsuru hauled himself through the hole, pulling Haruke up with him.

"What the hell were you doing down there?" He demanded angrily as he set Haruke down. Haruke scowled at him.

"You think I just wandered in down there? I woke up there after… After someone put me there." He muttered, averting his eyes bitterly. Mitsuru glared at him, then let his eyes fall down to Haruke's feet and he groaned, smacking his forehead.

"Oh gods, that's gross…." He murmured. Haruke blinked, then lifted one of his feet up so he was staring at its bloody underside. The bottoms of his feet were torn, caltrops embedded deep into the raw flesh.

"How did I…?" His voice trailed as his mind flashed back to when he hopped off the platform. _I must have jumped right on them without even realizing it… Goddamn it! And my wrists…! They look like freaking hamburger meat! What kind of idiot puts caltrops and- No, Aoi's still here!_ He realized, jerking his head up toward the rooftops.

"Mitsuru, move! We have to-" He was cut off as the gentle sound of a paper bomb hissed nearby, making both Uchiha immediately look in that direction. Just a couple feet away, millions of paper bombs began to hiss as they fluttered from a garbage can.

"Shit!" Mitsuru cursed aloud and caught Haruke up in his arms, shooting off the ground and onto a nearby rooftop just as the bombs went off, exploding in a series of smoke and rubble. The blast knocked Mitsuru off his feet and skidding across the rooftop. Haruke winced as they came to a stop, some dust flying up into his face, Mitsuru on top of him now.

"Damn it, Mitsuru, get off me." He growled, squirming away and rolling onto his back before throwing himself into a sitting position. Mitsuru scrambled to his feet, ready to bend down and help Haruke up, but the sound of metal whistling through the air alerted him and made him jerk back, shoving Haruke.

A kunai shot between them, sticking into the ground a ways away from them. Mitsuru gritted his teeth and looked up before his eyes widened.

"You…!"

"Harsuzoi Aoi, mutt, and don't forget it!" Aoi announced with a smirk as he stood on the other side of the rooftop, a hand on his hip and his other holding a large fuuma shuriken at his side. Mitsuru glared at him.

"Shut the hell up, you murderer! What the hell were you planning to do with my brother?" He snarled. Aoi licked his lips excitedly before grinning.

"I was purposely using him to lure you here so I could fucking beat the living hell outta you. I haven't forgotten about that fucking huge chunk you ripped outta my damn arm. First I'm going to kill your bratty snotnosed brother, then your slutty little girlfriend, and I'm going to fucking make you watch the entire time before I rip your guts out!" He laughed and flung the large shuriken forward.

It zoomed through the air, whistling high-pitched-like. Mitsuru's eyes flashed and he moved forward quickly to shove Haruke down to the ground. The shuriken shot past him, the slightly curved tips slashing through his shirt and ripping through the skin on his back. Mitsuru hissed past his gritted teeth before gasping, whipping around with kunai hooked onto his fingers. He flung them toward Aoi, but they were easily dodged, except for one that Aoi caught in his bare hand.

"Keep dancing, mutt! See how fucking long you can lie!" Aoi mocked and threw the kunai back at Mitsuru, who jerked back in time to avoid it colliding with the side of his head. He whipped around to face Aoi, making quick hand signs. He flung his hand out, sending bolts of jagged lightening blasting toward Aoi, who smirked.

Aoi ducked and dodged, only having the right sleeve of his zipper scorched. He then flung out several senbon with explosive tags fluttering at the ends, sparking with hot flames. Mitsuru winced and dodged them, but grabbed Haruke up in the meantime to avoid the explosions before they went off.

Mitsuru was knocked off his feet and he went skidding along the rooftop on his back, causing his raw skin to shred even more. He yelled in pain, rolling over to hover over Haruke, who blinked.

"Mitsuru-"

"Shut up, Haruke! Let me do my job!" Mitsuru barked, then heaved himself to his feet, looking up in time for Aoi to slash his katana at him. Mitsuru's eyes flashed and he swung his arm up, letting the blade cut his arm slightly before he reeled away and flung his foot up, kicking Aoi in the stomach and sending him skidding back across the rooftop on his feet. Aoi grasped his stomach, then smirked toward Mitsuru before making a hand sign. Mitsuru blinked before gasping out loud in pain as a rounded stalagmite shot from the ground up into Mitsuru's torso.

Mitsuru was forced upwards through the air before he managed to fell back, slamming into the ground. He trembled, grasping at his torso, his fingers brushing over the ribs that were plunged through his already tender skin. He looked at the blood caking his fingers before he looked up in time for Aoi to sheathe his katana again.

"Che! Not even a challenge! It's like you lost all that fucking spunk after that dumbass Hyuuga shit died. Fucking stupid." Aoi snorted, moving toward him now, ready to plunge his fist straight through Mitsuru's head. Mitsuru panted for air, holding a hand over his busted torso. Blood leaked past a cut on his forehead as he looked up at Aoi, who grinned, ready to attack him. Haruke lunged forward, his eyes wide.

_CRACK!_

Aoi's head snapped to the side, his eyes flashing wide open in shock, his fist falling limp to his side. A shadow took up the space in front of him, a midnight black jacket billowing in the gentle wind that whispered by, matching long, ankle-length inky black hair.

A red handprint grew angrily on Aoi's right cheek before he blinked, finally letting what had just happened register in his brain before he looked up.

"If you ever, _ever_ lay a hand on them again, I won't hesitate to have you incarcerated, whether I have a valid reason or not." Ruriko stated dangerously, lowering her right hand as she locked her narrowed lavender eyes on the Genin in front of her. Aoi took a step back before glaring with a light, bitter smirk on his face.

"That's a hell of a slap there…" He mused. Ruriko glared.

"You have five seconds to get out of here or I'll take you down myself. I don't care if you _are_ younger than me." She muttered dangerously, her left hand seeming almost sticky with electricity as the volts sparked between her fingers. Aoi grinned evilly.

"Tch, whatever, lady. I'll just come back again and again and again until that mutt is dead." He retorted. Ruriko swung her hand up, catching the front of Aoi's top and jerking him up off his feet.

"Don't even mess with me, you little bastard. I have no qualms throwing your carcass over the top of this roof." She threatened. Aoi smirked, his hands clamped over Ruriko's in an attempt to pry her fingers away, but they felt like they were frozen stiff on the front of his dark gray zipper.

"I dare you, so long as you let me take a fucking grab at you first and kill the damn mutt." He mocked. Ruriko didn't even wait one second to argue and thrust the boy as hard as she could forward. Aoi winced only slightly before he managed to catch himself in the air, landing on the edge of the rooftop, his heels not touching the ground. He glanced behind him, then looked forward.

Ruriko flung her left hand out, making a hand sign with the other as her eyes glowed in aggravation. Lightening crackled like webbing between her fingers before blasting down toward the metal clasps on her wrists, exploding like a large netting around her fist.

She moved forward quickly, reeling the hand back and ready to slam it into Aoi, who went for his large weapon's holster. He whipped out several poison drenched shuriken, flinging them forward. Ruriko ducked them, skidding across the rooftop before jumping back up, aiming her hand for Aoi's torso, but he ducked to the side, flinging his foot up and kicking her arm. Ruriko flinched, but didn't stop to curse as her jutsu was shut off.

She grabbed a handful of Aoi's shaggy brown hair with her right hand and jerked him around. Aoi barked out several colorful sentences as he was flung to the ground on his front, Ruriko swinging around and kneeling over him, a hand grabbing his hair and a kunai pointed at Aoi's throat. The only thing that stopped her from continuing her assault was the long sword pointed at her back.

"What the hell do you want?" Ruriko demanded, still keeping her eyes locked on Aoi, who gritted his teeth and literally spat out more curses. Kirumaru nibbled his lower lip, but kept his sword steady at Ruriko's back.

"Please, don't… I understand Aoi provoked you and it was very wrong to do that, but I request that you please back away from my student." He managed, taking on a slight shudder to his voice as if the entire situation made him nervous. Ruriko ran her tongue over her teeth, rolling her eyes in annoyance before she gave a slight nod. Kirumaru relaxed slightly, pulling the sword slowly back.

Ruriko let go of Aoi's hair and dropped the kunai, hoisting herself up backwards and letting Aoi get to his hands and knees, glaring mostly at the ground as Kirumaru still kept his sword withdrawn as if waiting for him to attack. Ruriko glanced at Kirumaru out the corner of her eye.

"Kirumaru-sensei… I respect you, being a sensei and all, but if that _thing_ ever comes near my children again, I'll not hesitate to decapitate him." She stated firmly. Kirumaru nodded lightly, looking the other way.

"R-Right… I apologize for Aoi's behavior, for anything he's done this entire time… He's, well… To put it lightly, he's not completely mentally healthy." He said slowly, as if trying not to insult Aoi, who just snorted and glared at Kirumaru out the corner of his eye.

"I can tell," Ruriko retorted, "Just keep a tight leash on your thing or he'll get picked up by the pound." Kirumaru merely nodded. Aoi smirked.

"Says the bitch who teaches her mutts to eat their opponents." He taunted.

"Aoi, that's enough!" Kirumaru cried in exasperation, lowering his sword slightly as Aoi rose to his feet. Ruriko's eyes glowed as she clenched her fists at her sides.

"It's fine, Kirumaru-sensei. See you." She turned and headed toward the other side of the rooftop, listening to the sound of Kirumaru and Aoi shoot off. Ruriko walked up to Mitsuru, who coughed, blood dripping down the side of his mouth.

"Mom-"

"Don't," Ruriko cut in, "It's fine… Oh gods, you're both torn up…" She paused, bending down to usher Mitsuru and Haruke against her. She sighed, hugging them both tightly, but not too tightly as they were both still injured. Haruke averted his eyes, but didn't try shoving or pulling away as he rested his cheek against his mother's shoulder. Mitsuru cuddled his face into Ruriko's other shoulder, hugging her back as best he could.

"Sorry, mom…" Mitsuru mumbled against her shoulder. Ruriko smiled lightly.

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault that brat is psychotic." She replied, making him laugh quietly. Ruriko pulled away, examining Mitsuru before looking at Haruke, who kept his eyes downcast and away. Her smile faded slowly.

"Ne, Haruke, what's wrong?" She asked softly, brushing her hand through his hair. Haruke glanced at her for a moment, then let himself drop against her again, his face against her shoulder.

"Nothing, just tired…"

"I'll bet. Come on. I'll have to carry you both." Ruriko sighed, standing up, holding Haruke in her arms.

"I'll help." A voice stated. Ruriko blinked and looked around to see Itachi standing on the edge of the rooftop, smiling very lightly, his expression still slightly worried.

"Itachi. It took you a while." She commented with a smirk. Itachi shrugged walking over and helping Mitsuru stand up. He allowed Mitsuru onto his back as he glanced at his wife.

"I had a run in with an old friend of yours." He replied. Ruriko stared at him, confused.

"Old friend of mine?" She asked, clueless. Itachi sighed, shaking his head a little. Mitsuru cocked a brow, looking at his father curiously before looking at his mother. Haruke glanced up as his mom, still holding onto her.

"I've never officially met him until today… Last time I saw him, he popped up in my house right after Kotaro's attack, twelve years ago." Itachi mused thoughtfully, tilting his head. Ruriko furrowed her brows in though, glancing up at the sky as she tried to remember before her eyes widened.

"No way."

"Way."

**BACK AT THE HOTEL**

"Dollface! It's great to see you again!" Hajin sang with a wild grin as he sat at the kitchen table with Itachi and Ruriko.

"I told you then and I'll tell you now to quit calling me that!" Ruriko barked angrily, a vein pounding visibly in her forehead as she gripped her tea mug tightly in her bare hands. Itachi averted his tired eyes awkwardly, taking a sip of his tea.

Hajin sat across from them, still grinning wickedly. His black hair was slicked back, to the nape of his neck and his eyes were as pale and pinkish red as ever, although, he sported a good old scar through his right eye that stretched up to his hairline down to the bottom of his jaw. He wore a pair of baggy and loose black pants with multiple pockets and no shirt. His chest was still tattooed with a spider and its web.

Over the counter in the kitchen, Miwa and Manabu peeked over to watch with wide curious eyes while Mitsuru and Haruke were deep asleep in their room.

"Who is that guy? He's totally flirting with mommy!" Miwa accused with a little scowl as she eyed the strange man crookedly, seeing as she couldn't see through her right eye. Manabu shifted uncomfortably, frowning slightly.

"I don't know… But I don't really like him. His tattoo is scary… I hate spiders."

"You hate everything, Manabu."

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

"You two are supposed to be in bed!" Ruriko yelled, on her feet and glaring over the countertop at the twins, who both yelped high-pitched in unison before bolting for their room hurriedly, slamming the door shut. Ruriko glared after them, then huffed, settling back into her seat before glancing at Hajin out the corner of her eye as he snickered at her.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" She demanded sternly, cocking a brow and narrowing her eyes slightly. Hajin grinned, tilting his head.

"I almost forgot how cute you are when you're mad," He drawled, then blinked and looked at Itachi when he cleared his throat out loud, "Oh, whoops! Sorry! It's almost hard to believe you're married now…" His voice trailed as he scanned Ruriko up and down over the table. She was adorned in a simple white yukata and black pajama pants that obviously belonged to Itachi.

"Che," Ruriko retorted, "And what about you? What've you been doing with your lazy ass, huh? You have nerve visiting two members of Konohagakure's Police Force."

"Oh yea," Hajin mused, "Right. The big news! Haha, guess you've already met Madara's kid, Kaoru, huh?" He received two nods and a huff from Ruriko before smirking, then sighing as he leaned back.

"Cute kid, always sulky and sarcastic. Anyway, I'm sure you've already noticed that you no longer have that little diary of yours."

"Unfortunately." Ruriko responded stiffly, clenching her fists on the table on either side of her tea mug. Hajin chuckled, reaching out and lifting up his tea mug.

"He's got a lot to talk to you about… Especially that last couple pages about a few years _after_ Kotaro's attack as well as a couple before." He explained. Itachi looked at Ruriko almost suspiciously, tilting his head. Ruriko blinked, then shifted uncomfortably.

"Don't look at me like that… I was going to show you the diary as soon as I finished it, well, the first part. I was going to hire an editor to look through it since I was way too busy to do it myself, but I never got around to it and Kaoru took it before I could finish…. As for what's written in it, I assure you that all of it is absolutely true and there's no way I am going to meet Madara face-to-face. I don't have a death wish." She huffed in aggravation, folding her arms over her chest. Hajin grinned.

"Something _other_ than spiders that you're afraid of. I'll definitely have to use this to my advantage." He hummed to himself, drumming his fingers along his chin, making Ruriko spit a curse at him. Itachi frowned.

"Hajin, go back and tell Madara she's not going. I don't care if she's telling the truth about meeting him privately or not, ever, I'm not letting her go." He informed calmly, making Hajin raise a brow in his direction with an almost amused expression. Ruriko blinked and looked at Itachi, her heart pounding.

'_If she's telling the truth or not'? Does he not trust me? Ugh, why should it matter? I can't lie to myself. I know I was thinking for a split second of planning a meeting with that sadistic bastard… I can't believe I would even think that! Well, even if I did go, I'd just go to basically tell him to give me back my diary, give me Kaoru, and fuck the hell of!_ She thought angrily, clenching her fists.

"Someone's angry~ You shouldn't say that you don't trust your wife in front of her." Hajin sang, wagging a finger at Itachi, who looked at Ruriko, who looked back at him before shaking her head. Itachi looked back at Hajin, who sighed, rising to his feet.

"Oh, all right. I know what that looks for. You want me to go so you two can argue while the kiddies sleep, fine, fine, but I'll be back tomorrow, ya know! Mostly because I love looking at your kids. They're cute. Too bad we never got to have our own, ne?" Hajin teased, brushing his hand through Ruriko's hair before heading for the door. Ruriko shuddered and scrambled to her feet, glaring after Hajin.

"Chya right! You're gross! Go away, stay away, and tell Madara that he's a conniving bastard and I hope he fucking keels over already!" She yelled after him. Hajin grinned over his shoulder at her.

"Will do, doll face." He winked and shut the door. Ruriko scowled and went over, taking a seat at the table again. She glanced at Itachi, who finished his tea, staring into the cup.

"Itachi…"

"I know you're not lying… You're smart, like everyone else. You're scared of Madara." Itachi answered calmly, closing his eyes as he clasped his hands over his still-warm cup. Ruriko blinked and stared at him, then away, then back again with a nod.

"You have no idea." She murmured, shaking her head lightly.

"I'm just uneasy now," Itachi admitted as he rose to his feet, taking both their cups to the sink, "Hajin knows we have children now… He's going to report this to Madara, probably backing up Kaoru's claims… If he didn't know we had kids before, he will now and he might…" His voice drifted off as he turned on the sink to rinse out the cups before shutting the water off. Ruriko was on her feet now, glancing up at him past her loose hair.

"Itachi, you don't really think Madara would go after the kids, do you? I mean, he has a kid of his own…"

"He wouldn't care. You saw the shape Kaoru was in when we met him. He was obviously mistreated by his father… It's sad, but true. Madara would have no qualms in killing a child as he'd almost killed Naruto when he was born. He's probably as bad as Kotaro was." Itachi explained. Ruriko twitched at the mention of the man's name, shifting her eyes away.

_That's a scary thought… I was majorly terrified of Kotaro… Hell, who wasn't? He was like a demon, only able to move wherever the hell he wanted to, stomping on everything in his path…_ She thought with a light grimace. Itachi walked up to her, tilting her head up to him. She blinked, studying his thoughtfully concerned expression.

"It's all right… Just keep as close an eye on the kids as you can."

"You too."

"… Right. And I'll watch you." Itachi said softly and leaned in, kissing her gently on the forehead. Ruriko smiled lightly and stood on her toes, kissing him straight on the lips.

"Agreed."

**Somewhere Else**

"Isn't that unsettling?" Arisu murmured as she sat back comfortably on the hotel sofa, wearing only a loosely wrapped plush white towel as she painted her fingernails with clear, shiny polish.

Kimiko sat on the floor, playing with her plush fox before she glanced up with both her pale pink eye and Sharingan eye.

"What? That Madara's sticking his big nose where it doesn't belong or that that Aoi guy is creepier than mama?" She questioned, cocking a brow. Arisu paused, puckering her lips as if the topic was sour before shrugging as she resumed painting her nails.

"Both. Madara's probably just peeved to find out that Master Nozomu is taking over Getsugakure, which is another point for him, while Madara is simply sitting on his ass, making that stupid kid of his run errands, same goes for the spider freak… As for the Aoi kid, he's asking for trouble, attacking not just that Uchiha brat, but their mom too. I heard she's got a bad temper." She drawled.

"She's our cousin, no wonder!" Kimiko grinned. Arisu blinked, then stared at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Ruriko. Kazuhiko met her at a restaurant the other day and said he liked her a lot… I dunno what, but he's been acting weird lately, ever since he told the proctors and other sensei that he's dropping out of the exams." Kimiko muttered bitterly, then looked at her plush fox, scowling at it as it stared back blankly.

"Kazuhiko's getting weak," Arisu muttered as she watched the new red polish drip over top of the clear polish, "It's pathetic… Rants to us about death and the pointlessness of being a shinobi, what a coward… It's any wonder why Nozomu gave Kazuhiko Lord Kotaro's servant, Kage… A waste of time, I say… He should've given the servant to me and I'd easily take out this pathetic little village and all its worthless inhabitants." She dropped the red onto another nail.

Meanwhile, Kazuhiko easily walked down the hallway after eavesdropping on the conversation between his eyes, his eyes rolled up at the ceiling flatly with a bored expression upon his face.

_Idiots… I said I didn't want to be a shinobi in the first place… I don't wanna do anything… If I had a choice, I wouldn't even be here. I'd be hanging from the dining room light by my neck._ He thought with an exasperated sigh, tilting his head as he walked into his room. He shut the door, locking it and leaning his back on the door as he stared at the comfortably medium-sized room. He stared up at the ceiling a while longer, watching the ceiling fan go round and round and round.

He looked down at the jar on his hip, watching the black mass swirl around in it gently, moving upwards as if to stare at him. Kazuhiko reached down and unhooked the jar, lifting it up to peer inside. His eyelids grew heavy as he placed his hand on the top of the jar. He closed his eyes and screwed the lid off, peeking an eye open.

The black mass in the jar was swirling closer toward the bottom, as if watching the top open. Kazuhiko gently unscrewed the top.

"_Releasing him from the jar is like setting off a huge bomb."_

"_You've got a big mouth and you're pretty much useless most of the time, but I know you're not immature, so don't open that jar. I'm not joking when I say that releasing it will probably destroy the entire village of Getsugakure."_

Nozomu's voice came into his head, making him tighten his grip on the lid. Kazuhiko frowned at the black mist inside the jar that began to swirl around the bottom corners of the jar.

_Right… Big mouth, useless… But not immature… What's the point of hanging around and taking up space?_ He wondered and popped the lid off, closing his eyes. For a second nothing happened and he opened his eyes to see the black smoke in the jar swirling around, faster and faster and faster. He could feel a tiny buzzing vibration in his hands, making his eyes widen slightly. The jar began to heat immensely from the friction inside, making him drop the jar onto a pile of dirtied clothes. The jar shook violently as Kazuhiko pressed his back to the door.

He grimaced, watching as the inky blackness began to flood into the room like thick smoke, causing his breathing to choke up. He flung his foot out, scooting clothes up against the bottom of the door, turning his head the other way.

_Bomb, my ass! That bastard lied to me… This is like suffocating smoke… I can't bring, I feel like someone is strangling me… Could it be him…?_ He wondered, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to suck in air, only coughing as the smoke billowed into his lungs and back out.

The room suddenly became icy cold, as if all the heat energy in the room was being sucked away by the being that fled from the jar. Kazuhiko bit down on his tongue to stop his teeth from chattering, watching as his breath came out in white clouds amongst the black ones that filled up the room so badly, he couldn't even see the door behind him anymore.

He felt as if the energy in his body was slowly being drained from within him, more or so than usual. He dug his nails into the door behind him, feeling light headed as if he were going to fall. He forced his eyes open again, turning his head to stare into the thick black smoke of the room.

It didn't take long for the blackness to be sucked inwards, faster and faster. Kazuhiko could feel sharp objects, possibly the wind, slashing across him, cutting his face, torso, legs, and arms. He watched with curiously half-lidded eyes now, relaxing, but hardly.

A figure began to take shape in the center of the room.

The person revealed couldn't be any older than twenty with blackish gray hair styled rather simply and only slightly ruffled and fluttery in the gentle, cold wind of the room. His eyes were a smoky gray and seemed almost blank, emotionless.

He wore a black cloak that touched the ground with a hood cringed with gray fluff, a buckle shutting the front of the cloak. A black jumpsuit resembling very much of the ones the Jounin wore in Konoha with normal black ninja shoes, revealing no toe. Black gloves that only covered his two middle fingers finished off his attire. His two index fingernails were the longest and painted black.

"Master Nozomu told you not to open the jar." The servant stated in a monotone, his eyes seeming heavy with exhaustion from so many years cramped in a jar. Kazuhiko blinked at him for a moment, frowning.

"I know… But I was hoping what he said was true, you know, the whole 'bomb-crash-die' thing…" He muttered, but he didn't continue as someone knocked on his bedroom door.

"Kazuhiko?" It was his sensei, Nori. Kazuhiko rolled his eyes, watching the servant in his room as he spoke.

"Yes, sensei."

"Are you all right in there?"

"Yes… I was just getting ready for bed. Goodnight, sensei."

"Goodnight… Kazuhiko…" Kazuhiko's eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance at his sensei's hesitating footsteps before they drifting away. Kazuhiko looked back at the servant.

"Your name is Ikiteiru Kage… You were one of the most loyal servants to Lord Kotaro. I'm surprised you didn't kill me for disobeying Nozomu." He murmured. Kage studied him silently before giving a single nod.

"Master Nozomu is different from Lord Kotaro… You are different from Lord Kotaro."

"Yea, I'm not bloodthirsty, sadistic, and dead." Kazuhiko retorted smartly, cocking a brow to see if he had agitated the servant, but Kage showed nothing on his face.

"Quite the opposite," Kage said softly, "You are peaceful, honest, and alive… But you want to die."

"Hn, well, it's gotten boring is all. Don't come here to lecture me. If you're going to kill me, do it already." Kazuhiko replied calmly, pushing off the door and waiting. Kage's eyes glowed and he held an arm out toward Kazuhiko, his abnormally long fingernail pointing. He said nothing before his finger slowly seemed to become smoke, sucking downwards, down, down, down-

Within seconds, Kage had sucked himself back into the jar, the top capping on.

Kazuhiko stared down at the jar, bending down and picking it up. His eyes followed the mass inside, watching it move around like waves in the ocean. His eyelids became heavy once again as he held the jar in his hands.

"You don't want to kill me either…" He sighed, exasperated and walked to his bed, flopping down and pulling the blankets up. He set the jar on his nightstand, eyes locked on it before he reached out, taking the jar back again and holding it to his chest as he closed his eyes.

_Stupid servant…_

****

**A/N: Here's chapter sixteen for ya! Sixteen pages too. lol. I don't know what else to say for this chapter… :) But I really do like Kazuhiko now… Also, I will be making a list of characters in the final rounds of the exams! If you have a character that is dropping out of the exams, like Kazuhiko, please inform me of this! I think the teams that are settled for the final rounds are as follows:**

**Kotori, Kakashi, Nori, Roku, Kirumaru, and Honoka(Ayaka).**

**Sorry if I missed one, might wanna check back a couple chapters to the last chapter of the second rounds to see if I missed anyone. O: Anyway, some characters might wanna drop out unless a preliminary is decided… Depends. I have some time. :) Well, I think that's it! Thank so much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are loved very super much!**


	17. Chapter 17

**NEW CHAPTER! WOO!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters introduced within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I already claimed as my own and will repeat in the next arc :D!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Seventeen: **Hajin Baby-sits! The Final Evidence!**

"Shit," Ruriko cursed as she jerked her boots on, scrambling to grab her hairclip, "They have a match on the blood left at the scene!" Itachi watched his wife scramble around the room, a brow raised slightly.

"Ruriko, slow down. You don't have any pants on yet, either. You can expect to be taken seriously without them."

"Ack! I could've sworn I put those on! Itachi, can you hand me a pair from the closet- Ow! My fingernail broke!" Ruriko barked angrily, glaring at her nail before she sucked on it, shaking it afterwards. Itachi sighed and went to the closet, taking out a pair of pants, tossing them to Ruriko, who caught them and hurriedly slipped them on, buttoning them in the front as she grabbed her jacket up off the bed.

"All right, let's go. I hope the results aren't what I'm thinking." She muttered as she fixed her hair, walking out of the room with Itachi following after closing the door.

"Your cousin," Itachi answered for her before frowning, "Ruriko, wait-"

"There's no time to wait! I-"

"Ruriko, there's no one to watch Miwa and Manabu!" Itachi interrupted firmly. Ruriko blinked and looked over at the twins, who were both happily eating their cereal at the table. She smacked her forehead and groaned.

"Agh! This sucks, who's going to watch Miwa and Manabu? Haruke and Mitsuru are still dead asleep and won't be able to make them lunch…" Her voice trailed as she hear a knock at the door. Itachi sighed and walked to the door, pulling it up to reveal Hajin, grinning and giving a little wave.

"Good morning, Uchiha family. Back for another visit." The spider man greeted, cocking his head and giving Ruriko a quick once over. Itachi frowned in annoyance, rolling his eyes up at the ceiling as if to demand the gods why this man was even in existence.

"Hajin," Ruriko exclaimed quickly and ran to the door, "Can you do me a big, big, big favor? I swear I'll pay you back!"

"Hm, depends. What's the favor, doll face?"

**Not more than a couple seconds later…**

"You're babysitting us?" Miwa asked suspiciously, studying Hajin as he leaned on the counter in the kitchen, drinking a galloon of milk before looking at her. He smirked.

"Yup! Just call me Cousin Hajin… Too bad you can't call me daddy." Hajin muttered more to himself before snickering and drinking the rest of the milk. Miwa pouted, folding her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow.

"You're weird! You look at my mama funny a lot too. What's that about?" She demanded huffily. Hajin gave her a sideways grin as he set the gallon of milk down, turning to face her.

"Your mama is great. I've liked her since I met her." He responded cockily. Manabu shifted uncomfortably, twiddling his fingers.

"Well, she doesn't seem to like you."

"She's playing hard to get." Hajin responded with a snort, leaning back on the counter with his arms folded over his chest before pushing off and getting into the fridge again. Miwa glared as she watched him raid the fridge for food and more milk. Manabu nibbled on the end of his thumb, watching as well before leaning over to Miwa.

"Mama should've taken us to Kotori-sensei's hotel room, or even Osamu's… This guy is so weird!" He whispered. Miwa nodded, then grinned, jabbing Manabu with her fingers.

"Ne! Remember the game we played with Osamu the first time he babysitted us?" She asked eagerly in a whisper, her dark purple eyes twinkling with excitement. Manabu paused, looking up at the ceiling, then beamed and nodded.

"Yea, that was so fun! Oh, well, except when mama came home… We got Osamu into a lot of trouble, running all around the village like that… I don't think Osamu liked our Ultimate Hide-and-Seek game, mama and daddy too."

"Let's play it with this guy!"

"What? Miwa, didn't I just say-"

"Yea, but mama already doesn't like this guy, so it shouldn't matter! Right?" Miwa asked, nudging him with her elbow and winking. Manabu shifted, then smiled uncertainly.

"Yea, I guess so." He admitted.

"Great! I'll start the game." Miwa stated, then sat up straight, Manabu mimicking her movements as Hajin came away from the fridge with a gallon of milk, a bag of fried locusts, and a package of ham. Miwa picked up her empty tea cup and threw it across the kitchen, making Hajin yelp and look over at her.

"What was that for?" He demanded. Miwa beamed.

"I saw a spider in the corner of the kitchen and mama hates 'em." She pointed. Hajin automatically looked, worrying for a split second if it was one of the many spiders that he kept jammed into his pockets. He frowned, only seeing the cup drip a single drop of dark cold tea before he looked around.

"There's nothing- WHAT?" Hajin blinked, dropping everything as he stared at the empty breakfast table, Manabu's cup slowly spinning before coming to a stop. His eye twitched and he jerked his head up.

"GODDAMN IT! Is this why Ruriko offered so much money?"

Running down the hallway toward the exit of the hotel, Miwa and Manabu were laughing quietly to themselves.

"You think he'll run after us?" Miwa giggled.

"He has to! Mama will be so mad if he doesn't…"

"This is gonna be fun! Remember to use all the tricks you used on Osamu, Manabu, okay?"

"Got it!"

"See ya in a bit!" Miwa gave him a salute before bolting down a separate hallway, rounding another corner. Manabu nodded and went in the opposite hall, running toward the end. He easily heard Hajin yell their names down the hallway, making him pick up speed. He hated it when people screamed his name like that, as if something scary was going to happen, so he hurried around a corner, looking up to find a door partway opened.

He beamed and reached up, pushing it open a bit. He walked inside, peeking around, but quietly as a three person family was sitting in the living room, watching some game show on the television. Manabu slipped into the hallway closet, just as Hajin ran past.

Hajin immediately skidded to a stop when he saw the hotel room opened and smirked, flinging his foot into the door and causing it to burst open, making the family in the living room jump.

"What was that for?" The father demanded angrily, his fists on his hips as his wife cowered behind him, holding their grasping and giggling two-year-old. Hajin sweat dropped.

"This is a room? Sorry! Hey, have you seen some kids about this big? Grayish bluish hair and really dark purple eyes?" Hajin asked hopefully as the father stalked toward the door.

"No, sir, but next time knock! I'm fifty-years-old and at risk for a heart attack!"

"Good for you, have a nice day." Hajin waved and walked on down the hallway. The father roared in anger and slammed the door shut. Hajin smacked his forehead, walking to the end of the hallway to stare out a window with annoyed, narrowed eyes as a swat drop ran down his face.

"Goddamn kids always gotta get into damn trouble…" He growled, then blinked as he saw a familiar little girl running across the street from the hotel. His eyes widened and shoved on the glass of the window, causing the window to flip around rather quickly, not giving him enough time to jump before the window came back around and smacked him hard in the rump, sending him flying out the window.

As soon as he fell out the window, Manabu had crept from the room down the hall, just in time to see Hajin tumble out the window. He blinked, tilting his head before running up to the window, looking out to see Hajin hit the ground. He winced.

"Ouchie."

Hajin groaned, shaking his head as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He looked up to see Miwa's long grayish blue hair disappear around a corner. He scrambled to his feet and bolted toward the corner, rounding it in time to see Miwa, giggling wildly and darting in and out of the crowd.

"MIWA! You brat, get back here!" Hajin yelled and ducked into the crowd, shoving and ducking bodies and limbs. He hit the ground again, glancing past legs to find Miwa. He saw a flash of a pale blue kimono top. He swung around and found himself staring at a long pair of slender, sexy legs. He looked up, up-

Too far.

A purse came down onto his head.

"YOU PERVERT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING DOWN THERE?" The redheaded woman shrieked, gripping her handbag and shaking. Hajin grasped the top of his head with both hands, yelping.

"OW! Jeez, lady! What do you have in there? BRICKS?"

"Get out of here, or I'll call my husband and don't think I won't! He's a ninja-"

"Ninja shminja, I have to find some kids!"

"Pedophile!"

"Goddamn it!" Hajin winced as some people had begun to turn and stare at him in disbelief, muttering and crying out in terror. He was about tempted to stab the redhead in the foot if he hadn't of heard a familiar giggle. He whipped around to see Miwa duck past another woman's legs. Hajin's eyes widened and he swung around, diving between the woman's legs, causing her to scream and leap away. Hajin leapt to his feet and ran after Miwa, ignoring the screaming women behind him.

_GOOD GODS! They're worse than Ruriko! She spawned devil children!_ He thought angrily and reached out to try and grab the back of Miwa's top, but she hit the ground and slid across it, going under a shop table. Hajin leapt over the table, causing people to shout and hop away in horror.

"You can't be back here- WHOA!" Hajin smacked his hand in the old shop owner's face, knocking him back into the crowd, whipping around. He caught side of Miwa squeezing between two booths. He ran to the crack between the booths, peering through to see Miwa come out the other side, racing off down an alley.

Hajin looked up at the top of the booths before stepping back, then running forward and leaping over. He landed in the alley behind the booths, running forward again, only to be blocked by a large crowd of people, who were cheering and watching large lantern floats going by with geisha and men dressed in heavy formal wear.

Hajin narrowed his eyes in annoyance, rolling them as the parade went by. He stepped out of the line as people started to disperse, his eyes wandering further, further- They landed on the back of the last large lantern float. Sitting on the back were Miwa and Manabu, high-fiving each other.

"YOU BRATS!" Hajin shouted and flung a finger in their direction. They both jerked their heads up, letting out little 'eeps' of fear at being caught. Hajin raced after them and they broke apart, each going one way. Hajin gritted his teeth and went to grab them both by the backs of their tops, but they moved just out of reach.

Hajin groaned in exasperation, not knowing which one to go after before he decided on Manabu. He bolted after him, grasping out, but Manabu easily ducked and dodged. As they ran down the street, the shadow of a large, fancy restaurant came into view.

"Don't you dare!" Hajin barked, but Manabu ran right past the door and the butler waiting with a menu. The butler blinked and whipped around to watch Manabu run in, then turned in time for Hajin to collide into him.

"OW! Damn it, man, move! My brat just ran in there!" Hajin shouted. The butler whined, scrambling away from Hajin and fixing himself up. Hajin ran into the restaurant where millions of clear class tables were set up on dark red, carpeted floors. Candles in silver made lanterns sat on the tables as people dined around them, chattering softly and chuckling.

Hajin glared as he caught sight of Manabu ducking toward the kitchen. He raced after him, hopping over some tables and dodging past them, causing people to scream and protest angrily. A strong grip caught his arms, reeling him back and he found himself in the grip of two Getsugakure security ninja for the restaurant.

"Let go! There's a kid in the kitchen!" Hajin snarled.

"Sir, you can't run in here and ruin everyone's breakfast." One of the ninja scolded in a deep voice, jerking on Hajin's arm.

"You'll have to leave." The other agreed with a nod, his voice higher than the other's. Hajin gritted his teeth, tearing one of his arms away from the ninja, thrusting his palm toward the kitchen and making a hand sign with his free hand.

"Summoning! Tracker Eggs!" A huge web of white dotted eggs sprang forward, hitting the ground before dissolving, or so it seemed. The little spider eggs hatched and the almost microscopic creatures shot off after their target. Within seconds, Hajin found himself getting thrown backwards out of the restaurant.

He gritted his teeth, spitting some food that had gotten into his mouth out onto the street before he heaved himself up, brushing himself off. He glared at nothing in particular, whipping around to move on, but stopped as he saw Miwa standing at the end of the less crowded street.

"NE! Cousin Hajin, come get me!" Miwa made a face, sticking her tongue out and scrunching up her nose, putting her thumbs to her temples and wiggling her fingers. Hajin felt his face grow hot with anger, but even so, a deadly smirk fell across his face.

"Oh, believe me, kid, I will." He seethed, watching as Miwa giggled and bolted off down the left street. Hajin took off after her, using all the speed in his adult body to race after her. He almost made a grab for her hair, but he suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, almost warning him that something was coming up on his left side.

He didn't move in time to avoid a large aquarium being heaved out of a sushi shop. The glass box slammed into his side, knocking him clear off his feet and slamming into a shop's front wall, through several tables set up with expensive items.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Hajin roared, swinging himself to his feet and clenching his fists at his sides as he glared at the men carrying the aquarium, a vein violently pounding in his forehead. The men stared at him, gaping like fish as they blubbered for excuses. Hajin spat several curses at them before taking off again.

He could barely make out Miwa in the crowd that began to thicken as another lantern float came wheeling down the street. Hajin moved as fast as he could, watching as Miwa bolted out of the crowd, stepping into the path of the floats. Hajin's eyes widened.

"MIWA! MOVE!" He yelled angrily and went to bolt from the crowd, stepping right onto the edge, but someone had leapt into the way of the float, catching Miwa up under her arms and landing onto the other side. Hajin blinked in surprise, waiting as the floats went by before he ran over.

"That was close, thank you, Osamu!" Miwa beamed up at the Jounin who had saved her, a tall man with light brown eyes and darker brown hair, cut short and rather spiky. He wore a usual navy jumper, only thinner and no rolled sleeves, but they still ended to his elbows. His pants matched and only touched to his calves while bandages took up the rest of the way. Navy sandals and a slate gray sleeveless jacket with black trims and thick neck guard with padded shoulders made up the rest of the uniform.

"Who the hell are you?" Hajin demanded, putting a fist on his hip. Osamu looked up, cocking a brow and pursing his lips in annoyance.

"Saki Osamu. And who're you to let her run around like that in a crowded place! She's only nine-years-old, for crying out loud!" He scolded. Hajin blinked, then glared at him.

"You think it's my fault? Her and her snot-nosed brother have been running through town all morning!" He protested. Osamu furrowed his brows in a frown, then sweat dropped, glaring down at Miwa, who was rocking back and forth as innocent as can be on her heels.

"You're playing Ultimate Hide-and-Seek, aren't you?" He demanded. Miwa giggled, pushing a finger into her left dimple, wiggling it and looking the other way. Hajin stared at Osamu with a crooked pout of confusion as question marks popped up around his head.

Osamu sighed irritably, placing a hand on his forehead.

"Ultimate Hide-and-Seek is a really annoying terrible game Miwa and Manabu made up with their mom, you can tell."

"For sure."

"I'm guessing you have yet to find Manabu," Osamu muttered, his eyes flickering up and down the streets, "Knowing him, it's probably somewhere quiet." Hajin sighed, rolling his eyes, pausing to study Osamu suspiciously, closely.

"Do I know you from somewhere? Your name sounds terribly familiar." He mused. Osamu raised an eyebrow.

"I dunno. What's your name?" He asked. Hajin shrugged.

"Hajin." He answered. Osamu hummed in thought, drumming his fingers along his chin before he snapped his fingers, grinning.

"I remember you. The spider guy that was always freaking Ruriko out… Aaaand awkwardly stalking her."

"It wasn't stalking!" Hajin protested, but Osamu just snickered wildly to himself at the thought. Hajin rolled his eyes.

"Look, just help me find Manabu and I'll give you half the pay Ruriko is paying me to baby-sit these demons."

"Deal!"

"Where to first?"

"Like I said, Manabu likes quiet places where he can nap. If there's one thing Manabu got from his mother, it was his heavy sleeping. Come on, I know a good place." Osamu gestured and Hajin sighed, grabbing Miwa's hand tightly. They walked down the street for a while, until after lunch for sure as Miwa kept them updated on how starving she was.

After a while, they walked into a water garden. As in, it was basically a floating garden on a large pool of water, maybe a lake or smaller. Bridges led from platform to platform where exotic plants were swirling through the water and benches and other forms, even statues. Yellow lanterns hung on posts from the water, cascading beautiful shadows as the afternoon turned into evening.

"I don't see him." Hajin huffed in annoyance, Miwa's stomach grumbling afterwards. Osamu frowned, looking around as he stopped in the center of a bridge.

"Don't worry, he's here…" He murmured confidently. Miwa pouted, puffing out one of her cheeks angrily before her eyes fell on a small mass of little white dots that were traveling on a lily pad toward the bridge. Her eyes widened and she rushed to the edge of the bridge, managing to squirm away from Hajin to watch the lily pad.

"Look, baby spiders!" Miwa exclaimed in amazement, but she was ignored as Hajin and Osamu conversed of Manabu's whereabouts. Miwa pouted, but shrugged and ran off the bridge to the other side. She ran through the green grass platform, grinning as she watched the lily pad float further and further through the water.

She stopped as it went under a bridge with no platform beside it, making her puff out her cheeks in a pout. She looked around, ready to run back when she heard Hajin and Osamu yelling her name. She stopped when she spotted her twin curled up on a bench, sleeping comfortably. Her eyes widened.

"Wowww, Osamu is smart! Kinda…" She giggled and ran over to Manabu, poking him in the cheek.

"Manabu! Game's over, we won, thanks to you!" She giggled. Manabu peeked an eye open sleepily, yawning.

"Mm? Won…? Oh!"

"Dummy, you forgot we were playing!"

"Sorry!" Manabu whined quietly, sliding off the bench just as Hajin and Osamu ran over to them.

"Manabu, there you are! See I told you he'd be here." Osamu stated proudly, folding his arms over his chest and nodding. Hajin rolled his eyes, then sighed, looking down at the twins as they smiled at each other.

_Damn. They have the same facial structure as Ruriko, basically the same eye shape…_ He thought, his eyelids hanging tiredly.

"I wanna go home," Miwa wailed, stomping her foot and pouting, "I'm so hungry, I could eat all of you!" Osamu twitched, flailing a little.

"AH, NO! There'll be none of that, to your hotel room!" He announced, comically thrusting a finger in a random direction and making the twins giggle. Hajin sweat dropped.

_Eek, cannibalism. Definitely more like Ruriko._ He thought, smacking his forehead before nodding and bending down. He lifted Miwa up into his arms, making her laugh as he heaved her over his shoulder.

"HAHA! That was awesome, do it again!" Miwa cried happily, kicking her legs and flailing her arms as Hajin shrugged, scooping her up into his arms and throwing her back over his shoulder. Osamu smirked and lifted Manabu up under the boy's arms, hoisting him up. Manabu beamed and hung onto Osamu, cuddling close.

"Kids are cute…" Osamu sighed as he thought of his own son, Hiro, smiling lightly as he held Manabu, who was drifting back to sleep as soon as they entered the crowded festive village. Hajin stared straight ahead, Miwa sitting on his shoulders and resting her head on his, sleeping quietly.

"Yea, I guess so… I don't have any of my own. You?" He asked, glancing toward Osamu, who nodded.

"Yea, one. A son. His name is Hiro." He answered. Hajin smiled faintly.

"You love him?"

"More than anything in the world." Osamu replied confidently, hugging Manabu slightly tighter at the mere thought of his son. Hajin nodded in response, although, he found himself unable to say anything. He had no children of his own, nor any girlfriends or wives. Sure, he got a few looks from women around the village and even some of Akatsuki's targets, but it wasn't possible.

_No way… My job is way too dangerous for me to have a kid. Unlike Kisame or Madara or Itachi, I seriously rather have a family is a safe and peaceful environment. I'm working for one of the world's biggest criminal organizations and a top ten wanted criminal, working with several other Bingo listed criminals… Having a family at a time like this is just going to be a burden. Maybe after…_ He thought, although, the thought slightly saddened him to wait.

"Is it a hassle?" Hajin finally settled for asking. Osamu shrugged.

"Sometimes it makes you wanna tear your hair out, spending money on them, taking time off your job to hang around and play doctor or maid, but it's definitely worth it. I love Hiro. He's a great kid, super curious about everything. He's always questioning and I think it's great that he wants to know more about the world, I'm just afraid to really tell him everything about the world, ya know?" He asked. Hajin nodded, chuckling."Oh yea… Having to tell him about all the baddies, the vices and virtues and crap."

"Definitely… But, that's just the way the world is, gotta get used to it."

"Yea…"

The two men walked into the hotel, heading up the stairs and to the room where Hajin used the key to get in. He looked around quickly, sighing with relief that Ruriko and Itachi were not yet home. Osamu assisted him in tucking the twins into bed before leaving, wishing him a quick good luck. Hajin smiled, waving before he shut the door, locking it and going into the kitchen for some well-deserved dinner.

**JOUNIN BUILDING, EAST SIDE OF GETSUGAKURE**

"I can't believe this," Ruriko murmured as she read the files over and over again for the millionth time, "It's unbelievable… How could someone this young get rid of a body so quickly?"

"He must have practice." Mayu muttered a bit bitterly as she clenched her fists together in front of her, watching Ruriko's shocked expression.

"What do we do now? Go find the boy and question him?" Tonbo asked curiously, tilting his head as he studied the files again with Ruriko. Itachi nodded as he pushed off the top of the counter, unfolding his arms.

"Might as well. It's pointless to stick around in awe." He stated, glancing at Ruriko, who lowered the files to look at him a bit sadly. Tonbo frowned and nodded, getting ready to send for more Jounin, but Mayu stopped him.

"Don't bother. If we show up with an army, he might try and flee the scene. We, meaning us four, should be the ones to confront him," She looked at Ruriko and Itachi, who looked up at her, "Tonbo and I will wait outside, just in case he makes a run for it while you go in and talk to him. Itachi can remain with his teammates and sensei, in case they make an attempt to stop the mission."

"That's a good idea," Ruriko agreed with a nod, "All right, let's do it." The Jounin were off, exiting the Jounin lounge before shooting off into the inky darkness of the night. They hurried to the hotel listed along with the file that was left on the counter back at the Jounin lounge, where Nori had just walked in with a mug of hot tea.

She brought the tea to her lips calmly, her eyes fading from orange to a soothing pale blue as she sipped. She sighed, her breath coming out in a hot cloud of white before she looked down at the counter. Her eyes immediately narrowed, growing red.

Angry red.

Dangerous red.

Her burning, fiery red eyes locked on the photo of Tsukuyomi Kazuhiko on a file along with a small plastic baggy, containing a small sample of the blood found at the crime scene. She didn't even have to grip her tea mug as it burst into a million, tiny shards, the tea splattering all over the counter.

She whipped around and shot toward the window, which crackled and burst apart into pieces before she even went through it, giving her a way out.

Now at the hotel, Tonbo and Mayu nodded to Itachi and Ruriko, who stood outside the hotel room. Ruriko knocked with her knuckles first, waiting a moment. After a few seconds, a tall thin girl came to the door, wearing glasses and only a towel. Ruriko winced and the girl did the same.

"Can I help you?" She drawled. Ruriko frowned.

"My name is Uchiha Ruriko and I'm here to speak with Tsukuyomi Kazuhiko, is he available?" She asked. The girl paused, rolling her eyes up at the ceiling, glanced over her shoulder, then shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not." She mocked, making Ruriko twitch in annoyance, ready to grab the girl and wring her by the neck, but Itachi put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"Back off, Arisu," A voice said from the hallway, making all the Jounin look up through the doorway, "If they wall talk, they can talk." Kazuhiko came down the hallway, a towel around his neck and his shirt gone. His straight, choppy raven-black hair was stuck to his head with water, which ran down along his body, to the rim of his baggy black pajama pants with white clouds and a blue earless cat printed on them.

"Kazuhiko." Ruriko stated. Kazuhiko nodded to her, then looked at Arisu, who backed up against a wall of the hall, holding up her hands as if to surrender.

"Tsukuyomi Kazuhiko, we have two pieces of evidence that clearly state that you are the one that abducted Hyuuga Uwasa's body, about a day after he passed away." Ruriko informed as firmly as she could. Behind her, she could tell Mayu was tensing up and Tonbo was grimacing slightly. Itachi frowned and looked at Ruriko before looking at Kazuhiko, who kept a bored and flat expression on.

"Hm… Uwasa… Uwasa, I remember now… Yea. I took his body… I ate it."

****

**A/N: Yup! First part was kinda humorous, or at least, that's what I was aiming for! lol. The ending was rather serious, though, so… Anyway! I think that's all I have to say for this chapter! Thanks so much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are so awesome!**


	18. Chapter 18

**UPDATE! YAYYYY!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters introduced within this fan fiction, except for the ones that I already claimed as my own, which I shall repeat again in the next arc, lol.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Eighteen: **The Real Reason! The Matches Are Chosen!**

"What?" Ruriko demanded in shock, her eyes widening and her hands dropping limply to her sides. Itachi even seemed pretty taken aback, his eyes narrowing in disgust. Tonbo hit his back on the hallway wall, wincing. Mayu paled, clasping a hand tightly over her mouth in horror.

"You… Ate him?" Tonbo asked uneasily. Kazuhiko frowned.

"You say that like it's a bad thing… You don't even know why I did it…" He muttered simply, pulling lightly on the towel hanging from around his neck.

"Does it matter?" Mayu demanded. Kazuhiko looked at her, mildly surprised before his eyelids drooped once again to their natural half-hanging positions.

"Kind of."

"Do you have any idea how disrespectful that is? It's disgraceful, cruel, and extremely abnormal to consume a fellow shinobi! Particularly Uwasa! Lady Hinata is already a wreck knowing that he's dead, but to know that his body was stolen…! When she discovers that Uwasa's body was eaten…" Mayu stopped, grimacing in disgust as she leaned against the hallway wall, covering her mouth again as if to stop bile from rising.

"I'm sorry." Kazuhiko replied quietly.

"Kid, this isn't an academy fight," Tonbo snapped angrily, "Apologizing isn't going to give us Uwasa back."

"Puking won't either." Kazuhiko answered.

"Be quiet!" Mayu cried, shaking her head. Tonbo looked at her worriedly.

"Calm down, Mayu…"

"Sorry," Mayu managed at last, taking a deep breath and glaring in Kazuhiko's direction, "I'm just beyond disgusted. You have nerve."

"I have brains," Kazuhiko retorted, leaning on the doorway of the hotel room with his arms folded over his chest, "You think I just went and ate him because I was hungry or some kind of sick twisted sadistic bastard? What a joke…"

"If that's not the reason, then why did you do it?" Itachi asked quietly. Kazuhiko's lilac eyes flickered and locked on him.

"Hyuuga Uwasa was of the Hyuuga Clan. He's got some pretty good secrets in that body of his and amazing power. Pretty good price to get for a highly skilled medical ninja that had snuck into the exams, using a possession jutsu." Kazuhiko replied calmly.

"Possession jutsu…? Are you saying Uwasa was dead before the exams even began?" Mayu asked uneasily. Kazuhiko frowned, shrugging slightly.

"I don't know about that… Maybe, maybe not… All I know is that I was confronted by some medical ninja by the name of Yakushi Kabuto," He explained, making the Jounin gasp in recognition, "He probably possessed Uwasa's body after he died, left the body to come hassle me and expecting to return and get the secrets from the body, maybe taking it with him or mutilating it on the spot… I did your dumb clan and Uwasa a favor… I ate his body as fast as I could before Kabuto could show up to take him away."

All the Jounin stared at him. Arisu stared at him in disbelief, her mismatched gold and pale pink eyes glowing.

"When did this happen?" She demanded angrily. Kazuhiko glanced at her, holding a finger to his lips before looking at the Jounin. Ruriko snapped out of the shock first.

"That makes sense… Kabuto's a highly skilled medical ninja. He probably waited around, knowing Uwasa was going to die, and took over his body."

"I thought Kabuto had died over the years. Without Orochimaru, it seemed like he was nothing, but a parasite, living off whatever he could get." Mayu murmured, averting her eyes as she took her chin between her thumb and forefinger thoughtfully. Tonbo nodded in agreement. Itachi looked at Kazuhiko.

"Is that all that happened?" He asked. Kazuhiko stared back at him for a while, as if he were thinking, before he shrugged.

"Basically…"

"Then why didn't you come forward and say anything?" Ruriko demanded in annoyance, putting her hands on her hips. Kazuhiko cocked a brow, then sighed and shook his head.

"There was no way I was coming forward. Rumor spreads fast, as Uwasa's death has already traveled to all the countries of the world now. If I came forward, Kabuto would probably find out and come and try and attack my sisters and sensei." He explained simply.

"It's logical." Itachi stated, looking at Ruriko, who seemed to relax slowly.

"So… This was a good thing?" Arisu asked, confused. Tonbo nodded.

"Kazuhiko protected everyone in a sense, hiding Uwasa's secrets as well as the Hyuuga Clan's and the village's. He probably knew a lot since his family is probably the closest to the Hokage's main staff." He explained simply, using the knowledge he'd learned from talking with Mayu and Lord Triedge.

"You don't have to say it like that," Kazuhiko muttered, "You act like I'm a hero. I just used common sense…" Tonbo shrugged. Mayu looked from Tonbo to Kazuhiko, her eyebrows tilting up in a sad expression, yet at the same time slightly relieved.

"Thank you," She stated, making Kazuhiko look at her, "Even though your methods weren't all that clean and sanitary, you did what you could to help and I thank you for that…"

"… Don't mention it…" Kazuhiko murmured, then pushed off the doorframe.

"Is there anything you want as a reward?" Mayu asked. Kazuhiko looked at her, confused.

"Reward?"

"For helping. I can't simply thank you. I am acting in Lady Hinata's stead and I know she'd want to give you something for your work."

"Uh, no… There's nothing that I really want…" Kazuhiko mused to himself, getting elbowed by Arisu angrily. He looked at his sister, who glared at him as if to say 'uh, duh, we want stuff! I have a whole list!'. Kazuhiko rolled his eyes at her, then looked back at the Jounin, but he did have something in mind…

_There is one thing I want… Well, other than dying, but there's no way they'd do that for me. I'm a kid and they'd just laugh and be like 'stop joking' like all adults do…_

"Nothing." Kazuhiko repeated. Mayu sighed, then nodded. Tonbo looked at her, then at Ruriko, who nodded to him. Tonbo mimicked the movement and walked with Mayu down the hallway. Itachi looked at Ruriko.

"If you want to stay, I'll understand." He said. Ruriko smiled lightly.

"Please."

"See you when you get home." Itachi leaned in, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek before sweeping down the hallway quietly. Ruriko turned to face Kazuhiko, who was getting smacked in the arm by Arisu.

"Jerk! You should've asked them for tons of money or a position as Chuunin or Jounin or fucking Hokage! You're such a selfish asshole! I hope you stay a Genin forever!" Arisu spat angrily, then spun on her heel with a huff and stormed down the hallway, the sound of a door slamming following. Kazuhiko watched her, rubbing his now red arm before he looked at Ruriko, who sweat dropped.

"Sorry." Ruriko apologized. Kazuhiko shrugged, running a hand through his wet hair.

"It doesn't matter… I can tell that that woman, Mayu… She probably doesn't like me very much."

"You ate a relative."

"Right, but it's not like I did it barbarically… There was no other way to get rid of it so easily. What better way to hide a body and leave no trace than to eat it?"

"… How did you do it so fast? If you don't mind me asking." Ruriko added quickly, flinching at Kazuhiko's tilted head. Kazuhiko looked at the floor, shrugging lightly.

"I just did… I don't think I've ever eaten that fast in my entire life. It made me a bit sick and really tired…" He drawled, letting his voice trail. He noticed that he had almost gone into detail about how it had made him feel more suicidal than usual, resorting to opening the jar in an attempt to kill himself, yet again, but it failed as the creature inside refused to eliminate him. The thought made Kazuhiko dig his nails into his arms in aggravation.

"Anyway," Ruriko sighed, "I'm sorry for bothering you… I regret suspecting you for the wrong reasons."

"It's fine."

"Not really… Jeez, you're so accepting. What if we had told you we were going to kill you?" Ruriko asked, surprised. Kazuhiko shrugged, cocking his head with his eyes closed before opening them.

"I'd ask you to give me your best shot. I'm not scared to die, on the contrary." He replied quietly. Ruriko looked at him sadly.

"Don't say that… You're young, you still have a lifetime ahead of you. Places to see, people to meet, things to do."

"If I wasn't forced to be a shinobi and if I actually had a skill other than eating random dead corpses." Kazuhiko answered dully. Ruriko frowned, nibbling on her lip for a moment before nodding.

"That's what you want."

"What?"

"You didn't want to say it because your sister- Er, Arisu was there… You don't want to be a shinobi anymore." Ruriko said softly. Kazuhiko's eyelids stayed drooped as he gave a single nod.

"Right… I rather just be a simple civilian. Really, is that too much to ask?"

"No and I'll give it to you." Ruriko stated. Kazuhiko looked at her, frowning.

"It's not all that simple, though… You have no idea what's going on in the shadows around here. Quitting could get my sisters in trouble… Not that I care…"

"Kazuhiko…"

"It's all right. I'll talk to you about it sometime… Maybe. I have to go. My sensei's just down the hallway and judging by the fact that your wristbands are cracking, she's mad." Kazuhiko stated, pointing. Ruriko blinked and looked down, seeing thick, spidery cracks rip through the metal bindings on her wrists. Her eyes widened and she jerked her head up to look at Kazuhiko, who looked back at her stoically.

She frowned, then nodded and headed down the hallway and out of site, still holding the wristbands. Coming from the other end of the hallway, Nori slowly came down the hall in silence, staring at Kazuhiko with bright yellow eyes. He stared back at her dully.

"It's fine. I'm not in trouble." He said. Nori's eyes cooled, slowly fading from yellow to pale purple. She reached out and put her hand on Kazuhiko's head, ruffling his hair lightly before stepping into the hotel room with a light sigh. Kazuhiko frowned and turned, going into the room and shutting the door behind him.

By now, Ruriko was standing outside her apartment door, walking in to find most of the lights turned off. The door to her and Itachi's room was closed, signaling that Itachi had gone to bed. Hajin was fast asleep at the table, his arm sprawled out and his eyes closed.

Ruriko smiled lightly and shut the door quietly behind her, moving into the kitchen. She reached into her pocket, taking the money from her pocket and placing it on the table, just under Hajin's head. She walked to her room, sighing quietly.

_Just another day…_

**Next Day**

In the Jounin Lounge, the sensei had gathered as well as the exam proctors and several others.

"Here are the matches set for the final round of the exams," Tsuko introduced with a grin as she passed out the paper, "We based them on their skills and weaknesses." Tonbo watched with tired, light turquoise eyes as the sensei scanned the papers.

"What?" Roku managed to ask in shock, staring in surprise at the paper. Kotori frowned and looked over at him before looking back at her paper, eyes going wide.

"No!" She protested. Kakashi frowned, his visible eye scaling the page before it widened slightly. Tsuko cocked a brow, puckering her lips in a sour expression while Tonbo frowned.

"Is there a problem, Kotori-sensei?" He asked. Kotori glared at him and thrust the paper in his face, tapping a finger on a pair of names.

"You're basically saying that if Sayuri wins her battle against Arisu and Mitsuru fails his battle with Aoi, Sayuri has to fight him! No!"

"Kotori-sensei, I'm sure you're probably thinking about Uwasa… I give you my word that if Harsuzoi Aoi makes an attempt to murder your daughter, I will step in and stop the fight." Tonbo assured. Kakashi sighed, shaking his head.

"No, I'll do it if it comes to that. You don't know Sayuri like I do, Tonbo. She's not going to be happy if you step in at the wrong moment… Even so, I would like you to stand by along with Kirumaru-sensei in case Aoi still makes an attempt to kill her." He explained calmly. Kotori frowned uneasily while Roku nibbled on his lip.

_Uwasa's gone… I don't want Sayuri to be gone too… Wait, does Ruriko-sama even know that Mitsuru is going to fight Aoi?_ He thought, blinking as he studied the page.

"I'm fine with this," Honoka said quietly with a nod, "Although… I heard that Kazuhiko was dropping out of the exams. Why is he listed in a battle against Yuriye?" Tonbo shifted uncomfortably, particularly when Nori lifted her deep orange eyes up to lock with him at Tsuko, who huffed.

"Unfortunately, due to the loss of Hyuuga Uwasa, it leaves us with an odd number. If Kazuhiko remains out, Yuriye will have no one to fight and it'd be unfair!" Tsuko declared with a finger held up matter-of-factly. Nori frowned and her hand visibly clenched on the side of the paper, crumpling it slightly. She said nothing, but her eyes surely did, glowing deep, dark red.

"Also," Kakashi spoke up with a frown behind his mask, "Nakusu's name isn't on the list… He never mentioned anything about dropping out of the exams." Tonbo frowned, averting his eyes. Tsuko smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei, but we received a direct order from our prince that Uchiha Nakusu is forbidden from taking this year's exams." She replied. Kakashi blinked, looking utterly confused. Kotori frowned and looked at her husband, who seemed to relax as if he knew why this was all happening.

"Are there anymore questions?" Tsuko asked, but received no answer. She nodded and looked at Tonbo to dismiss.

"Good luck to your teams. We will be seeing you at the end of the month for the final exams." Tonbo announced and the group dispersed.

"This is dangerous… And fishy." Kotori added as she walked down the hallway with her husband, who shook his head, glancing at the papers with a single eye.

"I heard nothing about Nakusu dropping from the exams… I know Kazuhiko had, but they threw him back in. I don't understand it… As for the situation with Sayuri," Kakashi went on calmly, "Who knows? Maybe Mitsuru will beat Aoi… I heard they got into a fight the other day out in the village… Of course, I didn't hear too much about it, just that Ruriko had to stop it."

"Good for her," Kotori boosted with a huff, "That boy is dangerous! They should've had him apprehended. If he's enough to kill Uwasa…" Her voice trailed as Kakashi placed a an arm around her shoulders, taking the crumpling paper from her hands.

"Calm down, now… You're ruining the schedule. Here's the plan for today, I'll stop by Sasuke's and see what's up with Nakusu. Go back to the hotel room, act like everything is normal and when I get back, we'll both tell Sayuri about the matches, but until then, don't let on that you know she's fighting Arisu and possibly Aoi."

"I don't know what I should be hoping for… I mean, if Mitsuru _does_ beat Aoi and Sayuri beats Arisu, doesn't that mean that they would have to battle?" Kotori asked.

"… I suppose so…" Kakashi murmured thoughtfully, then shook his head as they stopped just outside the Jounin lounge. Kotori frowned in concern, her eyes lowered before Kakashi smiled behind his mask.

"Let's just stick with the plan we have now and see what happens… We'll talk to Sayuri about her matches later tonight." Kakashi stated and Kotori nodded with a little sigh and a slight, thoughtful pout. With a single kiss, the two departed. Kakashi easily swerved through the crowds to the hotel Sasuke and his sons were staying at. He could have sworn he saw Sakura exiting the building, but the mass of people blocked his view.

He sighed, walking inside at last. _It's too bad those two aren't together anymore. They seemed calmer and more happier. Ever since, it's noticeable that Sasuke's become the same bitter, snobby brat he once was… Although, I've noticed a slight maturity in how Sasuke acts around his children._ He thought as he walked down the hallway and in front of a door. He knocked gently, waited and the door opened to reveal a tired looking Sasuke dressed in a baggy navy blue yukata and matching pants.

"Hm, Kakashi, you know, it's a little early to be stopping by." He muttered, but stepped aside anyway as Kakashi shrugged with a light smile beneath his mask, walking into the hotel room. Sasuke shut the door, reaching up to rub his eye before he led Kakashi into the kitchen where two cups of tea were already sitting and waiting.

"It looks like you were expecting me." Kakashi commented as he took a seat, Sasuke sitting across from him. The Uchiha shrugged, averting his eyes as he took a sip of his tea. They sat in silence, Kakashi not touching his tea and instead studying the overly expensive hotel room.

_Is he trying to show off or is he just spoiled?_ Kakashi wondered with a sweat drop, then looked down the table at Sasuke, who had set his tea down to look back at him.

"You're here about the exams." Sasuke stated. Kakashi sighed and nodded.

"Yes. I'm curious. Why was Nakusu pulled out of the exams? According to one of the exam proctors, the order was given from the prince here… What's this about?" He asked with a serious tone and expression now. Sasuke frowned, clasping a hand around his tea mug, but not lifting it up, mostly fiddling with the rippled sides.

"I am the one who told the prince to have Nakusu barred from the exams." He said.

"Does Nakusu know?"

"No."

"… Sasuke, if this is about what happened in the last round of the exams-"

"It's not just that," Sasuke interrupted sharply, frowning in almost pain at the table, "He's just not ready for it… Nakusu's physical state isn't as strong as most Genin and even you can see that, so don't patronize him. He's very intelligent, though. His mind is sharper than Shikamaru's and that's saying something. I even admire his intelligence, but quite frankly, that's all Nakusu has right now. His abilities have been knocked down another point after he lost his Sharingan."

"His Sharingan was just as average as his brother's and cousins. At least he'd get a heads up before an attack came his way… And in case you've forgotten, I have a single Sharingan as well."

"But you've had time to experience having a single Sharingan. You can still maneuver quite well. Nakusu is having trouble determining where left and where right is. I can tell he's having issues because he knocked over a pot of ramen last night and he said he didn't even see it… Kakashi, it's dangerous enough to send Nakusu to the exams with hardly a physical skill to his name and it's even more dangerous to send him in there with a blindside." Sasuke finished in explanation, frowning as he took a sip of his tea, placing it back down.

Kakashi frowned behind his mask. He knew Sasuke had a point… But even so. He was sending Sayuri into the exams, hoping she'd be able to beat both her opponents. He knew Sayuri would probably act on her hatred for the Kumogakure team, but he had confidence in the fact that Sayuri was going to win. He wasn't going to doubt her.

"Sasuke, he's your son." Kakashi stated. Sasuke gave a nod, then shifted his eyes the other way.

"And that's why I refuse to let Nakusu fight. I don't want to lose someone else." He replied quietly. Kakashi blinked. He should've guessed it was simply Sasuke being overprotective, but it was hard to spot it as Sasuke was usually a prideful and rude young man. He respected Sasuke's decision, showing him the matches for the final rounds before he set off towards home.

Sasuke sighed quietly, staring at the dark liquid at the bottom of his tea cup. He stood up and walked out of the kitchen and across the luxurious living room. He opened the door to Nakusu's room and peeked inside. Nakusu, being a heavy sleeper, was fast asleep under his covers, an arm resting over his stomach and the other thrust up by his head.

A gauze pad was covering the sewn up eye socket that was hidden underneath his disheveled navy blue hair. Sasuke's expression went from a deep frown to an almost relaxed look. He walked across the room and sat on the edge of the bed, watching Nakusu sleep for a bit.

_I know it's wrong to do this without Nakusu's permission… But I'm not going to risk it, not again. I've already lost my parents, aunts, and uncles… I lost my wife and I'm not about to lose a child._ He thought, glancing around the room.

Just what he expected from Nakusu. Nice and clean with hardly a blanket out of place with his headband resting on the nightstand beside his bed. Sasuke reached out and picked up the headband, studying the metal for a moment, flipping it over to see a faint blood stain on the material from Nakusu's eye. Sasuke visibly cringed and put it down, standing up.

He stopped and leaned over on the bed, brushing Nakusu's hair aside to give him a small kiss on the temple before he left the room with a sigh, just in time to see Shisui walking out of his room.

Shisui's long blue hair hung down his back, some flipped mostly to the left side of his face while his big black t-shirt slipped off one shoulder. He was rubbing his eye sleepily before he caught sight of his dad watching him.

"Hm? Dad, what's wrong?" He yawned. Sasuke looked the other way for a moment, then back.

"The matches for the exams were given out today… You're going to be battling a girl named Hikari."

"Cool! You know, she's kinda cute, I hope she doesn't piss me off and make me hit her face," Shisui smiled lightly, running a hand through his hair before giving his dad a weird look, "Were you doing something in Nakusu's room?"

"Just… Doing some thinking." Sasuke responded softly. Shisui nodded with a smile, heading for the kitchen, but stopped again to look at his dad, who was staring at his feet now.

"Shisui," Sasuke began quietly, "I know I've done some things in the past to upset you a lot… And I'm sorry for that. Good luck for your exams. If you need any help, I'll be happy to assist." Shisui blinked, turning to face him fully, tilting his head.

"Hm? Oh… Uhm, no… No, it's okay. I'm just a little spoiled sometimes is all." He offered with a little smile. Sasuke looked up at him with a faint smile and gave a nod, to which Shisui beamed and went on into the kitchen.

_I don't want to lose either of them…_ Sasuke thought with a sigh.

**Later**

"Mom! Hey, mom!" Sayuri called through the hotel room, heading into the living room, then stopped. She reached up to brush her wilder than usual silver hair as she scanned the empty hotel, save for Sakumo, who had appeared behind her.

"Eh? Where'd they go?" Sayuri asked with a comical pout, puffing out her right cheek as Sakumo scanned the living room, his lazy mismatched black and greenish black eyes shifting.

"Hm, probably the store… Judging by the fact that last night we only had rice, tofu, and mushrooms for dinner."

"Blegh." Sayuri retorted and followed her twin into the kitchen. Sakumo opened the fridge, hoping to find some sort of food for breakfast… Or rather lunch.

"I can't believe we slept in so damn late," Sayuri declared, glaring at the clock on the wall that read thirty minutes after noon, "I'm starving! Sakumo, isn't there anything to eat? Even a box of crackers?"

"Nope… I can see why they went shopping…"

"You think mom's gonna make her cookies?"

"For our sake, I hope so."

"Same here! Ahh, I think I'm gonna shower- Hm?" Sayuri stopped, her hands thrust behind her head, clasped while her black eyes landed on a pile of scattered papers on a nearby counter. She reached out, picking through them.

"Sayuri, that's not yours."

"Oh, I know, I'm just peeking." Sayuri drawled, then lifted up a page that read in bold letters at the top: **CHUUNIN SELECTION EXAMS: MATCHES FOR FINAL ROUNDS**. Her eyes widened and she hurriedly read them, her jaw dropping.

"No way!" She yelled, clenching the paper. Sakumo looked up, peeking over her shoulder to read the names before he frowned.

"You're kidding me." He stated. Sayuri scanned the page again over and over again, but she couldn't get the matches out of her head.

"I have to fight that rotten whore from the Amegakure team…! Agh, but if I win, I have to fight either Mitsuru or Aoi? No way! I'm not fighting Mitsuru!" She shouted in annoyance, her eye twitching. Sakumo cleared his throat, turning his back to her.

"Don't they know you two are dating?"

"WE'RE NOT DATING."

"Hmm, although," Sakumo sighed as he filled a cup with warm water, grabbing a sakura tea bag from a nearby box, "And I'm not trying to insult Mitsuru, believe me, but I have a strong feeling you won't have to worry about fighting him… You're probably going to fight Aoi."

"Hey! For your information, Mitsuru's gotten pretty good since you last saw us spar!"

"Hm, I'm surprised, hearing that come from you."

"I didn't mean it like he could beat me, no way. I would just feel a little bad embarrassing him in front of his jerk butt brother, Haruke. MAN, that kid is obnoxious."

"A) You're starting to sound cocky again. B) Haruke would torment him anyway, so your pity would be wasted… Crap." Sakumo stated, watching as the box near the stove caught on fire because of the stove.

"Sakumo!" Sayuri barked and turned on the sink, frantically throwing water all over the counter. Steam hissed about in thick swirls while the tea box sat in a black, soggy ruin.

"And you say I don't pay attention." Sayuri snorted. Sakumo sweat dropped, staring at the box with a flat expression.

"You ruined the rest of the tea…"

"That should be the least of your concerns! Oh well! I have about a month until the final rounds! I am going to train my ass off so I can beat Arisu and then Aoi!"

"Aoi, the guy who murdered Uwasa." Sakumo blurted, furrowing his brow more at his reflection in the teapot . Sayuri blinked, clenching her fist and frowning down at the floor.

_That's right! Harsuzoi Aoi… No wonder his name sounded familiar. He was the crackhead asshole who killed Uwasa… I can't believe I almost forgot that. Now I really have to train. I only know basics about this psychopath… I need to beat this guy… And get rid of him afterwards. That's right. I'll kill him. That bastard deserves to die for killing Uwasa and making his clan suffer… For making Mitsuru sad… For making me…_ Her thoughts trailed as she clenched her fists tighter, then huffed.

"That's right," She stated, whipping around to face Sakumo, who looked up at her after throwing the burnt tea box out, "I'm going to kill Harsuzoi Aoi for Uwasa, for his clan, for Mitsuru, and for myself! I'm going to become a Chuunin." Sakumo stared at her, holding his cup of tea before he nodded.

"That's what I like to hear."

"If you need me, I'll be training!" Sayuri announced, turning on her heel and heading for the door. Sakumo sighed, tilting his head slightly.

"Ne, Sayuri, you're still in your pajamas and you need to shower."

"… AFTER I shower and change, I will be training! Yeesh!"

**Meanwhile**

"Oh great," Kirumaru sighed, "This is going to be so dangerous… I really hope Kakashi-sensei meant what he said." Aoi snatched the paper from Kirumaru's hand rudely from his seat on the hotel sofa.

"HA! This is great!" He burst into a fit of almost maniacal laughter, waving the page around. Isaye rolled her eyes and plucked the paper away from her laughing teammate, her eyes scanning it before she frowned, handing it to Huyu with her eyes closed in satisfaction with her match again Hyogo Riko.

Huyu took the paper, his eyes landing on Lei's name. He frowned slightly, but said nothing as well, nodding and going to hand the paper back to Kirumaru, but Aoi stole the paper back again.

"Watch it." Huyu stated in aggravation. Aoi stuck on his tongue childishly, sticking his thumb in the corner of Huyu's mouth, a gesture done mostly to scold children. Huyu smacked his hand away, glaring at him, but saying nothing. Aoi grinned, then looked at the paper, smirking crookedly.

"This is the best present ever! I'll kill a whole damn team! Another useless bunch of brats off the fucking planet!" He snickered. Kirumaru blinked, then waved his hands a little, sweating.

"Aoi, please. This is a battle. Just fight until you're declared the winner. Don't keep up your killing streak. We've already dealt with the Hyuuga Clan in the past and it left us in shambles. Doing it again is just stupid."

"You're stupid! I know what I'm doing, all right, man? I don't need your fucking lectures! I could wipe out that entire clan all by myself!" Aoi chortled before throwing his head back to laugh out loud to himself. He clenched the paper tightly in his fist at the mere thought of killing the remaining members of Uwasa's team.

"One down, two to go!" He declared joyfully.

"Sadist." Isaye muttered, folding her arms over her chest and crossing one leg over the other as she closed her eyes with a disgusted look. Aoi rolled his eyes, waving his paper at his sensei to shoo him. Kirumaru sighed and obeyed, heading to the kitchen of the hotel room to make snacks.

"Oh, shut your trap, woman," Aoi drawled and waving the paper noisily in Isaye's face, "Why do you give a shit anyway? That Hyuuga asshead almost tore you to pieces, you too, Huyu! Ha, but that doesn't fucking surprise me. A little gay wad like you couldn't fight off a dead bird."

"Shut up." Isaye and Huyu stated at once, taking on almost equivalent poses and expressions of pure irritation, their eyes closed and noses up. Aoi sniggered as he got to his feet, putting a hand on his hip as he crumpled the paper up into a ball, dropping it at their feet.

"I'll be seeing you two fucking losers at the hospital when I'm the only one who'll be making it to Chuunin rank, ha! Which means you'll have to do what I say, well, more than you already do." He added with a cocky grin. Huyu glared up at him, so very tempted to thrust his fist up into Aoi's jaw and knock him clear across the room, but he managed to restrain himself. Isaye didn't, however, as she rose to her feet and slammed her fist into Aoi's nose.

"Quit talking so big, you spoiled brat, or I'll injure you so you can't even _crawl_ to the exams." She threatened, clenching her fist. Aoi winced, clasping a hand over his bleeding nose before he scowled.

"Ya dirty hypocrite!"

"Do you even know what that means, Aoi?"

"HELL YEA!"

"Why don't you shut up?"

"Why don't you drink a fucking glass of shut the hell up?"

"Guys, please don't argue," Kirumaru put in as he came out of the kitchen with a plate of small finger foods, "It's just going to stress everyone out more- Aoi! Why is your nose bleeding?"

"Your bitch punched me in the nose!" Aoi barked angrily. Isaye harrumphed, putting a fist on her hip and shifting to the right on her feet, a vein visibly pounding in her forehead.

"Hmph, I'm going to train." She stated in annoyance, heading for the door, glancing back for a split second at Huyu, who was watching her leave before he shrugged and got up, going after her. Kirumaru sighed with a sweat drop.

"FINE! Go, you ugly slut! Go fucking die or even better, I'll do it for you!" Aoi yelled after her, then grabbed a handful of food with his bloodied hand, shoving it into his mouth. Kirumaru twitched.

"Ew."

**Somewhere else…**

"Wow," Mayu murmured as she studied the exam paper, "You've got some good matches here… I hope you guys do great, I'll be rooting for you!" Hikari beamed happily, clasping her hands behind her back while Emiko and Kiku simply nodded.

"Do your best and don't give up either," Honoka agreed with a light smile, "If you feel threatened, though, I won't be mad if you drop out."

"Like hell!" Ayaka snorted, folding her arms over her chest. Honoka shushed her while Hikari grinned, blushing lightly.

"Trust me, sensei, I won't be dropping out." She stated confidently with a nod, glancing at her sisters. Emiko shrugged, taking the paper from her mother to scan it over for a moment.

"I will pass… We already made a promise before we even got our matches."

"Emiko's right," Kiku replied softly, "We're going to pass these exams no matter what."

"I'm proud of you girls for making it this far," Mayu smiled warmly, "I'm excited to see your matches… Lady Hinata will still be making her appearance as well." She added with a sigh. She really didn't want Lady Hinata to show up as she was still heavily grieving, but the woman refused to miss the exams, stating she had to do it in memory of her second lost son. She was also attending to support Honoka's team.

"She… Is?" Kiku asked, perplexed. Mayu nodded, frowning slightly at the thought. Honoka and Ayaka shared confused looks. Emiko furrowed her brows together, her arms folded over her chest, but said nothing. She had heard Lady Hinata mention something about coming to the exams and she still didn't understand why. Hikari looked away, nibbling on her lip, then looked back.

"But… Isn't she still…?" Her voice trailed. Mayu nodded.

"She insisted on attending… She's going to support you." She answered softly.

"Now we really have to pass!" Hikari exclaimed, placing a hand on her forehead thoughtfully. Emiko nodded in agreement while Kiku frowned slightly.

"We'll do our best." Kiku swore.

"I have a random question," Ayaka spoke up with a frown, putting a hand on her left hip, seeing as Honoka was using her right hip, "Exactly… What is the Hyuuga Clan doing about that Kumogakure ninja who killed Uwasa? I mean, not to be rude, but I'd be hunting him down and slaughtering him like a pig." Mayu glanced up with a frown at the thought. She'd seen what revenge had done and it was no point in killing another kid.

"I agree with Ayaka," Hikari muttered under her breath, "We should be at least arresting the jackass… He's totally crazy."

"No," Kiku spoke, "He's beyond the point of insane."

"Just let him suffer in insanity," Emiko muttered, "He'll be wishing we killed him." Mayu stared at them, at a loss for words for the conversation. She herself was angry with this Aoi character, although, she hardly knew a thing about him, just what she had been told through rumors. It made her frown now.

"Focus your attention on the exams for now," Honoka said confidently, making a fist, "Then you can worry about that psycho later on."

"Right." Kiku, Emiko, and Hikari stated in unison, nodding. Mayu smiled slowly.

_Please… Let them be safe and pass._

**Later…**

"This is… Unbelievable! No!" Ruriko stated firmly, folding her arms firmly over chest and glaring at Itachi, who was holding the next matches in his hand. Mitsuru's jaw dropped.

"What? What do you mean no?" He demanded angrily, his fists clenched at his sides.

"You heard me," Ruriko snapped, "You're not fighting that-that _thing_! He's totally insane and he'll kill you!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence!" Mitsuru snapped back. Itachi frowned.

"Ruriko, Mitsuru has a point. You should have more confidence in him… I myself am not all that happy that Mitsuru has to fight Aoi, but… I know he'll try his best. If anything happens, the proctors and I will step in, you too, Ruriko." He explained. Mitsuru blinked and looked up at his father, surprised that he was being agreed with. Ruriko stared at her husband.

"But… Itachi, you saw what he did to Mitsuru! He'll…!" She couldn't even finish her sentence.

"Ruriko, I promise that if anything goes wrong, we'll step in." Itachi vowed, taking one of her hands and looking right at her. Ruriko's expression softened slightly, but she still seemed uneasy.

"If that kid tries to kill Mitsuru…" Her voice trailed.

"He won't kill me," Mitsuru spoke up firmly, "He killed Uwasa and I'm going to get him back for it." Ruriko and Itachi both looked at him.

_Revenge_, Ruriko thought sadly, _I hate it… But if he's going through with it, I know I can't stop him…_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Well, that's the end for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it and sorry if it got weird at the very end. I got distracted D: Sorryyyy xD;; I hope you enjoyed it anyway, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews would be greatly appreciated!**


	19. Chapter 19

**UPDATE! WOO! YAY! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I already claimed as my own and will repeat in the next arc!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Nineteen: **The Exams Begin! Pure Willpower!**

It didn't take long for the day to come. Hordes of people arrived in the large arena across the village of Getsugakure, taking their reserved places in the stands while the attending Genin walked to the center of the flat, concrete base where Tsuko was standing with her hands folded behind her back, a grin spread across her face. She spun on her heel and thrust open her arms as the crowds cheered.

"Welcome, everyone, to this year's first Chuunin Selection Exams! I, Tsuko, will be the proctor for these final rounds! The final rounds are simply battles to the until one opponent cannot continue or is basically incapacitated!" She explained aloud.

"Sounds like fun." Mitsuru muttered dryly, then glanced at Sayuri, who smirked, folding her arms over her chest.

"I'm so beyond ready for this. You better kick Aoi's ass, Mitsuru, or I'll have to clean it up after." She stated, making Mitsuru twitch in annoyance.

"I'm going to win so I can kick your face in!" Mitsuru snapped.

"I'd like to see you try!" Sayuri mocked, sticking her tongue out before winking playfully, making Mitsuru blush lightly and look the other way. Down the line, Kimiko was hopping up and down, grinning eagerly.

"I get to fight Kuromura Yumma, the guy who's friends with that Uchiha~ I'm so going to win!" She boosted proudly, glancing up at Arisu, who harrumphed.

"We'll all pass the exams without a hassle…"

"Says you." Kazuhiko muttered flatly, reaching up to scratch under his beanie cap. Tsuko turned to face the Genin now, tearing a scroll from her weapons holster, letting it slid open through the air with a whoosh sound. She looked down at the first scheduled match, smirking.

"The first match for the final rounds is Nijishima Huyu and Lei! Let the final rounds begin!" She yelled and the people in the stands roared with excitement, their voices echoing as they threw up their arms. Huyu stayed put, unsheathing his katana and letting the tip of the blade drag along the concrete while Lei rested his hand on the holster of his own blade.

The other Genin walked up a flight of stairs to a comfortable spot built into the side of the arena's walls where they had their own seats, a railing separating them from the actual arena. Tsuko kept a considerable distance from the opponents, raising up a hand.

"All right, boys! No rules apply, except to win! Good luck and BEGIN!" She announced, then back flipped out of the way, skidding across the ground. Huyu withdrew his blade, pointing the tip toward Lei, who grinned cockily.

"Please, ladies first." Lei teased. Huyu gritted his teeth in aggravation and bolted forward, reeling his blade back and bringing it forward quickly and rapidly. Each time his blade came forward, it clanged sharply against Lei's, sending sparks flying. Lei smirked and shoved hard again Huyu's blade. Huyu skidded across the ground on his feet, then swung his fist up and slamming it harshly into Lei's gut. Lei winced and lost his balance, jumping back quickly to avoid a slash across the face.

Lei huffed and puffed, holding his stomach as his blade sliced across the concrete. Huyu glared at him powerfully vibrant yellow eyes as he gripped his sword tightly. Lei laughed a little, standing up straight at last.

"Wow, that hurt… Not just your punch in the gut either. You're pretty fast with that sword of yours." He mused, putting a hand on his hip and bringing his katana up in front of him, pointing toward Huyu, who's eyes narrowed at him.

"Stop chatting." Huyu snapped in aggravation, then swung his sword out, making a hand sign with his free hand. A jagged stream of lightening shrieked outwards like a thin wave toward Lei, who sighed.

"Not the talking type, I see." He shrugged, then swung himself upwards, doing a back flip right over the wave of lightening that slammed into the wall of the arena. Just as Lei's feet touched the ground, a hand sign was revealed and fire crackled from the ground, roaring upwards. Huyu flinched and dodged them, looking up as Lei came racing at him.

He brought his katana up to defend himself from Lei's rapid attacks, trying to make another hit with his fist, but Lei spun himself out of the way and swung his foot around, kicking Huyu in the chest. Huyu coughed, gasping in pain as he flew back, rolling across the ground before he scrambled back to his feet, bringing up his katana up just in time to block another stab at him.

Lei grinned down at him, pushing hard so their blades screeched together. Huyu twitched in annoyance at the sound, glaring daggers at Lei, who kept pushing down hard, his feet slowly touching back to the ground.

"Let's make this more fun, hm?" Lei challenged and his long black lashes lifted, his eyelids parting open. Huyu's eyes flashed, widening slightly as they locked on the inhuman eyes before him. No, not eyes… They couldn't really be eyes.

Instead of white, then iris, then pupil, both of Lei's were entirely dark red, save for splotches of thick, burning black. Huyu couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes off those sickening looking orbs that replaced real eyes. Lei's smirk grew more devious as he pushed a bit harder on Huyu's katana.

"Something wrong… Nijishima Huyu?" Lei questioned, tilting his head and his eyes closed once more as he back flipped away, skidding across the concrete in a crouch before he stood up slowly. Huyu winced, blinked harshly, then stood up quickly, glaring.

_His eyes… No, those things. Those things must do something… Was it merely to scare me? They looked so badly burned or something… What exactly is this freak?_ He thought angrily, clenching his fists and grinding his teeth together. His eyes narrowed and he bolted forward. He wasn't about to lose to this cocky brat.

He swung his katana back around, making a hand sign with his other hand so that electricity sparked at the base of his katana, whipping around it wildly like a storm. He went to crash the katana into Lei's. The blade clanged together, but Lei grimaced as he found himself unable to move the blade away from Huyu's. He smirked bitterly.

"I hate electricity of any kind." He muttered, then made a hand sign and swung his two fingers upwards. A slash of wind shot from his fingertips, swirling forward. Huyu winced at first as the wind slashed into his left shoulder before he suddenly felt as if his skin was on fire. He gasped and dropped his weapon, stumbling back as he grasped his shoulder harshly.

Fire! His shoulder was on fire! It was burning! It was like the fire was starting from inside him!

"Agh!" Huyu dropped to his knees, ripping his nails at his shoulder, tearing the clothe off his sleeveless black zipper along with bits of flesh. Lei watched with a smirk, leaning on his katana.

"That's right… Win for me, won't you?" He teased. Blood splattered to the ground as Huyu's nails raked through his own flesh, throwing bits to the ground and staining the light gray concrete. Members of the audience cried out and yelled in confusion while Lei walked forward.

Huyu was breathing hard now, wondering where the flaming pain was coming from as he was unable to stop the constant slashing at his shoulder, as if his hand had a mind of its own. He gritted his teeth in pain and frustration. Lei swung his katana up, smirking.

"Time to die." He brought the sword down, but Huyu swung his hand up, the metal plate on the back of his glove deflecting the attack. Lei's brows furrowed together in a frown, his lips coming together in almost a pout. Huyu whipped around, tensing his fingers and curling them to create a webbing of electricity between his fingers as he clawed at Lei with it.

Lei jumped back, still frowning as Huyu struggled to stand up, struggled to stop his hand from wanting to move back to his shoulder. Huyu reeled his hand back and threw the lightening orb in his palm. Lei dodged to the side just in time, watching the lightening blast into the concrete flooring before he whipped around.

Huyu darted forward, blood spilling onto the ground as he got down on his knees to skid across the ground to avoid a slash with Lei's katana. Huyu ignored the roaring hot pain that seared up his legs and down his left arm, throughout the upper left corner of his torso as he caught up his katana in his other hand. He whipped around, panting and glaring at Lei, who smirked.

"I'm surprised," Lei mused, "Most people can't handle that kind of pain."

"What… What was that?" Huyu demanded angrily, wincing in pain as more hot flames seemed to engulf his body, making it tremble slightly. Lei smiled, tilting his head as he pointed up at his eyes.

"My eyes aren't normal."

"I guessed."

"Let's just say that you're experiencing what I did a long time ago." Lei drawled, making Huyu's eyes widen slightly. Lei smirked, then swung his katana out, letting go of the handle. Huyu blinked, then glared, jumping off to the side to avoid it, getting ready to move, but suddenly, the katana was torn back, sliding right through Huyu's right bicep, sending more fiery hot flames go through his body.

He dropped his katana and fell to his knees in pain, blood pouring from his wounds. Lei laughed, pulling on the wire as he brought his katana back into his hand.

"Shoulda been prepared, Nijishima." He stated and stuck his katana into a crack in the concrete, snapping his fingers once as if to say 'voila'. Huyu groaned, but quietly to himself as he reached up shakily, ripping his nails through his right bicep, causing blood to spurt from the wound, making him yell out.

"If you don't end this match," Lei called to Tsuko, who was watching with wide, surprised eyes, "He'll end up tearing himself up."

"The first match is finished! Lei wins!" Tsuko called and quickly nodded toward the stair case to a medical team who rushed out as fast as they could. Lei smiled as a single medic came up to him. It would seem to most that Lei had received hardly a scratch, but that wasn't true as the medic touched Lei's Chinese-style jacket, causing it to fall right off his shoulders in shreds. Lei smirked as the slices from Huyu's katana began to seep endless streams of blood.

"I'm not all that fast." He said to the medic, who gaped at him before hurriedly leading him away as the medic team managed to stab Huyu with a syringe to knock him unconscious so he would stop ripping at his skin.

"Tch," Aoi snorted, kicking his feet up on the railing in front of him, his arms folded, "What a dumbass! I should've known that fucker would fucking lose since he's a fucking loser!"

"Shut up, Aoi." Isaye retorted sharply, flashing him a quick glare before looking forward as Tsuko tore open the scroll, a quick clean up team rushing out to scrub the blood from the concrete floor.

"The next battle is Kuromura Yuuma and Tsukuyomi Kimiko!" Tsuko announced, glancing up toward the Genin stand. Yuuma rose to his feet and easily flickered from there to the arena. Kimiko grinned and hopped from her seat, landing on the railing before leaping down, walking into position a few feet in front of Yuuma.

"First your stupid teammate and then you! Haha, let's see how long you'll last!" She mocked, watching Yuuma merely roll his eyes. Tsuko giggled excitedly, then flung a hand up.

"Let the second match BEGIN!" She declared and hopped out of the way just in time for Kimiko to start up a powerful swirl of wind jutsu that shot straight for Yuuma, who merely stood there with a stoic expression as the wind slammed into him. He disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kimiko blinked, gritting her teeth and glaring now as she clenched her fists.

"Cheater! You're a coward if you won't show your face!" She yelled angrily, then felt a sudden draft behind her and whipped around in time for Yuuma's foot to slam into her gut, causing her to go flying through the air and slamming into the ground. Kimiko growled, scrambling to her feet and throwing her hand out toward Yuuma, making a hand sign with her free hand.

A blast of icy cold water rushed forward. Yuuma made a hand sign and flung his hand up, creating a huge wall of wind that blocked the raging water. He bolted forward, but Kimiko was ready for him on the other side, grinning from ear to ear as she blocked his attack with her arm.

"You think I don't know what you're planning," Kimiko mocked, her mismatched pale pink eye and Sharingan eye glowing, "I can anticipate your movements with _my_ Sharingan! Just you wait because I have more than just that torture for you!" Yuuma gritted his teeth and shifted his finger, just a finger, making Kimiko's eyes widen as she felt something inserted into her arm.

"That's not your Sharingan." He stated and tore back, tearing a poisoned senbon from Kimiko's arm. Kimiko screamed.

"OW! You bastard, bastard!" She yelled and found her entire right arm going numb, but she ignored it, rushing forward with a kunai in her hand as a wind jutsu wrapped itself around the weapon. She slashed quickly and hurriedly at Yuuma, only scratching him in the cheek and across the chest. Yuuma easily dodged most of the attacks, kicking Kimiko back several times, only to have her come racing back.

_This is dragging out too much… I'll have to end it now._ He thought flung his hand out to the side, several dripping poisoned senbon revealing themselves between his fingers. He swung them forward to slash at Kimiko, who yelped as she had jumped forward, quickly jumping back. Two senbon stuck right into her left foot, pinning them down while she barely managed to dodge the rest.

"Agh! Forget it! You don't wanna have fun? FINE!" She yelled and flicked her head to the side, causing her silver Lolita hair to tumble away from her face. Her Sharingan swirled and seemed to glow bright white instead of red now. Yuuma's eyes flickered and had no time to move away, locking with Kimiko's white Sharingan.

He found himself sucked into nothing, but pure darkness before he was torn back, looking at Kimiko and tempted to smirk cockily at her. Kimiko blinked, then clenched her fist angrily.

"What the…? Why the hell didn't it work?" She demanded angrily. Yuuma pointed a kunai toward her and made a hand sign with his free hand.

"I know of that jutsu and it won't work on someone who has no tragedy." He stated and several clones swirled around Kimiko, all making hands at the same time. Kimiko gritted her teeth and whipped around, glaring at them all. Yuuma swung his hands out to the side, his clones mimicking the movement as he started making hand signs, both moving differently.

"Ugh, you asshole! I'll slaughter you!" Kimiko shouted and rushed forward, ripping her pinned down foot from the concrete. As soon as she did, senbon shot out from a starting whirlwind of hot, fiery flames and slashing wind. They slammed into Kimiko's thigh and all the way down to her ankle. Kimiko cried out and collapsed to her knees, glaring up at Yuuma as he looked down at her flatly.

In a second, he seemed to bite down on something and jerk his head to the side. The senbon in Kimiko's leg tore out, little thin stream of blood spurting out from the holes that dripped with poison. The senbon seemed to be connected to a wire in Yuuma's mouth as he dropped it to the ground. In a flash, he made a hand sign, causing the flames and wind of the lashing toward that Kimiko was cringing away from to disperse into high rising steam.

"What the…? You…!" Kimiko blinked in utter confusion, tilting her head and clasping the side of her head as she watched the stringed senbon disperse along with the flames and wind. Kimiko looked at the wounds in her numb leg, but they still remained, making her eyes widen as she looked up.

"Huh," She snorted at him, flinging up a finger at him, "You think I'm down for good? I'm not giving up on you! I'll have your head!" She grabbed the silver fox plushie off her hip and thrust it at Yuuma's feet. Yuuma narrowed his eyes at it, ready to kick it away, but that's when he noticed the tag on the side of the toy.

He didn't have time to move as the paper bomb exploded, knocking Yuuma clear off his feet and skidding on his back across the ground, tearing his clothes and ripping up his back. He gasped a little, rolling over quickly onto his hands and knees. Kimiko was still stuck in her crooked sitting position with her left leg sprawled out and her right folded underneath her.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty!" She shouted after him and made a quick hand sign, thrusting her fingers outwards and creating a dragon of water that formed across the concrete, swirling toward Yuuma, who grimaced. He made quick hand signs, creating another shadow clone beside him and sending it forward. The next hand signs led to a large wall of wind, swirling upwards into the sky to block the water as the clone hid crouched behind the wind, hands being made to create a fiery flaming dragon.

Kimiko smirked as she watched the water dragon collide with the wall of wind, but her eyes widened in horror as the fire dragon came raging outwards at her, jaws gnashing angrily.

She moved as fast as she could, throwing herself back onto the ground. She kept herself pressed down to the ground as best she could as the dragon flew right over her, scorching her clothes and hair.

Kimiko winced and quickly rolled over to throw herself into a sitting position, but her burnt hair was grabbed roughly and her forehead slammed into Yuuma's knee as he knelt over her. Her eyes rolled up in her head and she slumped back to the concrete floor, unconscious. Yuuma rose to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

"The winner," Tsuko began loudly, "Is Kuromura Yuuma!" The crowds went wild with excitement, screaming and throwing their hands about. Yuuma sighed, taking a small step back, wincing as he felt the bones in his ankle crunching slightly. _Probably from that exploding toy of hers… What a hassle._ He thought in annoyance as the next medic team came rushing out. Only one medic needed to assist Yuuma in exiting the arena as Tsuko walked forward to unroll the scroll again, rather dramatically.

"Now for the third match! Hitsuki Kiku and Tsukuyomi Ketsuraku!" She called up to the Genin. Kiku sighed lightly, then flipped over the railing as she landed on the concrete below, taking up a position while Ketsuraku climbed over the railing, taking a spot across from Kiku. Tsuko threw up a hand, grinning.

"BEGIN!" She announced and leapt back quickly. Ketsuraku grinned, cocking his head.

"I'm pretty civil, so why don't you go first?" He offered, but Kiku shook her head, gesturing.

"No, please. I insist."

"Too bad." Ketsuraku sighed, then made a hand sign before slamming his palm onto the concrete, causing jagged sharp rocks to begin jutting out of the ground, racing hurriedly toward Kiku's, who's eyes flashed. She back flipped, landing on the ground a ways away, but the jagged rocks kept shooting after her. She pushed up off the ground, swinging her foot up and flinging a hidden kunai straight for Ketsuraku, who smirked and ducked his head.

"Smart move." He commented, then pulled his palm away from the ground and stopping the jutsu so Kiku could land safely to the ground. He swung his hand out to the side, making a hand sign with the other hand. As soon as he brought his hands together in a tiger seal, pain exploded into his hand, making him wince. He looked down to see wire encasing his hand, cutting deeply into his hand. His eyes followed the wire to Kiku's fingers as she jerked hard.

He was torn off his feet and went sailing at Kiku, who stepped off to the side as Ketsuraku slammed into the arena wall, denting it inwards and causing rubble to fly out and dust to gather in the air. Kiku smiled faintly, turning to face the wreckage when she felt a painful jerk on the wire around her fingers.

Tighter, tighter, tighter!

_My fingers are going to get torn off!_ Kiku realized in horror and quickly whipped out a kunai, cutting the wire and tearing it off her fingers to reveal deep purple marks around them. She looked up in time for larger stone rocks to come blasting out of the concrete, making her quickly dodge from side to side, further back and further back.

She gritted her teeth and did a back flip, using her chakra to stick to an arena wall. The rocks stopped jutting and the dust and rubble cleared to reveal Ketsuraku stumbling out, wiping blood from his grinning face. A deep cut was etched into the left side of his forehead and his arm was very obviously broken as the forearm bone was jutting right out his elbow. Kiku grimaced, but she narrowed her eyes in concentration and allowed her eyes to glow for a moment as she pushed off the side of the arena.

She landed on the ground, making a hand sign.

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!" She shouted in activation, rushing forward at a high speed. Ketsuraku cursed under his breath, but he didn't wipe the smile off his face as his vital points were struck with pointed fingers and rather harshly. Kiku thrust her fingertips right into Ketsuraku's back, causing him to cough up a glob of blood and stumble forward. Kiku stepped back, frowning at her job well done, ready for Tsuko to call out the end when Ketsuraku seemed to stop in mid-fall to whirl around and grab her around the wrist. He jerked her forehead, making her yelp slightly and gasp as their foreheads slammed together with a loud, sickening crack. Ketsuraku let her go and hit the ground, grimacing as he rolled over, spitting up blood as some dripped from his forehead and either side of his nose.

Kiku grasped her forehead, stumbling back with a grimace. She went to kick Ketsuraku in the gut, to skid him across the concrete, but he caught her ankle and tore it out from under her. Kiku hit the ground and Ketsuraku was back up. He caught her ankle and ripped hard, making Kiku gasp as she was torn from the ground and swung around. She cringed in pain as she bounced along the concrete before slamming into the corner of the wall and floor.

She managed to scramble to her feet, her entire body aching before she raced at Ketsuraku, kunai withdrawn. Ketsuraku smirked and dodged to the side to avoid the stab with the kunai, but Kiku swung her hand out, catching hold of one of the jutted rocks to swing on. She brought herself around and kicked Ketsuraku in the face, causing him to fly back and slam into a jutted rock.

"Ow! Yeesh, that's a good kick!" Ketsuraku commented, grasping his nose as it bled. Kiku tried not to smile. She didn't know why she had to urge to smile at her opponent, maybe it was the fact that he was smiling the entire time as well? She shook her head quickly, then bent down, scooping up a broken jagged piece of rock, flinging it at Ketsuraku, who caught it an inch from his face. He was breathing heavily, a light smirk on his face.

"You're tough…" He mused, then threw the rock away and made a hand sign faster than Kiku could even catch it. Several large orbs of fire came shrieking toward her, making her eyes widen. She made a quick hand sign before she spun around, gritting her teeth as chakra swirled around her viciously. The fire slammed into the chakra, getting caught up in the vortex before it was thrown out and against an arena wall, causing it to grow burnt black.

Kiku stumbled to a halt, grimacing as she glanced at Ketsuraku, who was breathing harshly. Ketsuraku smiled still, losing his left eye as blood dripping over it.

"Awesome move, girly girl… But it looks like you're almost at your limit, using something so fancy." He added. Kiku grimaced.

"You're one to talk. You're all out." She stated, pointing at him. Ketsuraku beamed.

"Yup! Looks like it's just sheer willpower now!" He exclaimed, then bolted forward, shocking Kiku, who just barely managed to dodge a punch to her throat. She whipped around, aiming to kick Ketsuraku in the head, but he ducked and smacked his hands on the concrete, bringing his feet around while at the same time, shouting:

"Earth Style! Nature's Grasp!" Vine ripped from the rocks, morphing outwards to wrap around and entangle Kiku, who winced. Ketsuraku kicked her hard in the face, snapping her head to the side. He popped back up onto his feet and grabbed her throat, swinging his hand out to the side to make the vines shrivel and die. He squeezed, jerking her up off her feet.

"This is the end for you, it was a fun battle while it lasted." He smiled, cocking his head to the side, then he went to bring her around, but found himself unable to move. He blinked, wincing and looked down to see the shriveled up vines creeping around his legs and pinning his free arm to his side.

"What the…?" His eyes landed on Kiku's hand, which tightly gripped one of the vines, sending waves of chakra through it. Kiku smirked lightly.

"A good ninja should always check their surroundings." She stated, then brought her foot up and kicked Ketsuraku in the gut, making him move back slightly before she swung up her other foot, kicking him in the jaw. He went flying back across the concrete, doing a quick backwards summersault and landing facedown, no longer moving. Kiku breathed hard, staring for a while before she looked over at Tsuko, who laughed softly.

"Excellent… The winner of the third match is Hitsuki Kiku!" She yelled. The crowds shrieked and screamed with joy and thrill. The medic team came out to escort Kiku and Ketsuraku to the infirmary next door to treat their wounds. Tsuko stepped out, unrolling the scroll.

"We will be taking a short, ten-minute break before beginning the fourth battle, which, just to keep you in suspense, will be Uchiha Mitsuru versus Harsuzoi Aoi!" She yelled, making the crowds grow louder and louder by the second.

Mitsuru's eyes widened and he dropped his arms to his sides from their folded positions over his chest. Sayuri winced, clenching her fists tightly on her knees as she looked at Mitsuru. Of course, Aoi burst into a fitful laughter.

"AHAHAHA! PERFECT! About damn time! All this blood and gore shit is fucking getting me pumped!" He shouted eagerly, jumping to his feet and thrusting a fist in the air, making Isaye roll her eyes.

"I… Need to grab something to drink. I'll be back." Mitsuru managed to tell Sayuri, who huffed and simply nodded. Mitsuru got to his feet and bolted from the Genin stands, hoping to find a vending machine with water bottles. As he got a ways down the hallway, he spotted a vending machine, but also heard the sound of a door opening and slamming shut far behind him.

He sucked in a deep breath, pulling out a bill and stuffing it into the slot. He dialed the number on the keypad and watched a bottle tumble down. He went to grab it, but a hand beat him to it. He whipped around, glaring, then froze. Aoi waved the water bottle in his face, a cocky grin on his face.

"Heheh, you worthless mutt. You better not back the fuck out or I'll torment your pathetic head, got me?"

"Che," Mitsuru scuffed, glaring right at him, "Give me your best shot, you psychopathic fuck." Aoi's amber eyes glowed as he tilted his head slowly and slightly to the side, his fist clenching on the water bottle so tightly that it exploded in his hand. A vile, sinister smirk swept across his face.

"Oh, trust me, I won't fucking need to if I'm fighting you, mutt." He responded, making Mitsuru clench his fists. He went to smack Aoi upside the head, but a strong, familiar grip caught his wrist, making him jerk his head up.

"Sayuri?" He managed. Sayuri glared at him and let go of his hand, then snapped her head toward Aoi, who scowled at her.

"You'll automatically fail if you start a fight without proper direction from the proctors, Mitsuru, so wait for your battle with this asshole." She said to her teammate, who grimaced. Aoi sniggered.

"She got you whipped, mutt? Little shit takes orders from some low class little bitch." He mocked. Sayuri felt a vein pounding in her forehead as she forced a smile, although, it was twitchy and obviously angry, almost comical, though.

"Don't tell anyone." She stated, then swung her fist around into Aoi's gut, making him yelp and cough, hunching over a bit and holding his arms over his stomach. Mitsuru smirked.

"Thanks, Sayuri."

"Don't mention it. Now we just need to rip out his tongue and strangle him with it." Sayuri snickered. Aoi glared at them, but he was smirking slightly, standing upright again.

"In the ring, I won't stop beating you until you're both dead, just like that fucking worthless Hyuuga brat of yours." He seethed.

"Shut up!" Sayuri snarled and went to attack him head-on, but Mitsuru caught her around the waist, pulling her back.

"Sayuri! They'll definitely know if they find his corpse torn up somewhere! Calm down!"

"Don't ever talk about Uwasa like that again, you hear me, you bastard? I'll make you regret ever being born!"

"Big talk." Aoi drawled, then spun on his heel and headed back down the hallway. Mitsuru finally let go of Sayuri after she threw his arms off. She spun around to face Mitsuru, glaring as she clenched her fists.

"Kill him, Mitsuru. Kill him slowly, painfully, I don't care how you do it, but get rid of him. _Eat_ his fucking worthless carcass!" She barked. Mitsuru stared at her, sadly at first before he nodded with a determined expression.

"I got it… And if I don't, Sayuri-"

"You will."

"If I don't, you do."

"We'll both kill him."

"Sounds good to me." Mitsuru smiled faintly. Sayuri was still tense, shaking with rage and Mitsuru risked it, giving her a small hug, making her blink in surprise before she relaxed slightly.

"You're such a freak…" She murmured.

"You too."

"Jerk butt."

"Jerk face."

****

**A/N: A tad bit shorter than the other chapters, but the next one is going to be long for sure! I'm going to try to stick three to four battles into one chapter, soooo, yea! Just letting you all know. ;D Well, I think that's all I have to say for this chapter. Thanks so much for reading, hope the characters and their abilities are in character and in check, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	20. Chapter 20

**WELCOME TO… ANOTHER UPDATE! WOO!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I already claimed as my own, which shall be repeated in the next arc!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty: **Battles Four, Five, Six, Seven, and Eight! Family Disputes!**

_This is it_, Mitsuru thought with a firm stance as he stood across the arena from Aoi, who was smirking at him, _We battle… I have to do this. For Uwasa and for Sayuri._ He clenched his fists tightly as Tsuko came out into the arena, throwing up a hand with a grin on her face.

"All right, you two! Let the fourth match, BEGIN!" She announced and brought her hand down, flipping back out of the way. Aoi withdrew his katana, pointing the tip at Mitsuru with eagerly narrowed eyes and a wider grin now.

"About damn time! Say your prayers, mutt!" He yelled and bolted forward. Mitsuru winced and quickly withdrew a kunai, bringing it up to block the katana attack before he brought up his knee toward Aoi's gut, but Aoi shoved it back and slammed his head forward into Mitsuru's jaw, causing him to skid back, slamming into the ground. Mitsuru scrambled back to his feet, then flung his kunai forward. Aoi caught it and hooked his finger through the handle, easily tying on a paper bomb before throwing it back all in one swift movement and turn.

Mitsuru winced and raced out of the way quickly, just in time to avoid the blast. He was just getting to his feet when Aoi quickly moved over, reeling his katana back. Mitsuru's eyes widened and he ducked forward, grabbing Aoi's ankle and jerking it out from under him. Aoi yelped and hit his back on the ground, but not before flipping back up.

Mitsuru leapt back, making hand signs quickly. He sent flaming orbs of fire racing toward Aoi, who made a hand sign himself while thrusting his other fist upwards, creating a huge wall of concrete in front of him. The fire crashed into it, scorching it badly and causing a few chunks to fall off, revealing Aoi's smirking face behind it.

"Keep trying, mutt! You can't take me down easily!" He mocked, then swung his sword forward, causing the wall of concrete to shudder and crumble to the ground. Mitsuru's eyes widened slightly before he gritted his teeth.

_Shit… Are you kidding me? I have to use this already? Well, mom and Haruke would probably bitch if I didn't…_ He thought, then blinked once, allowing the blazing red Sharingan to glow dangerously in his eyes. Aoi blinked, then grinned excitedly.

"You're finally gonna take this fucking fight seriously? GREAT! More fun for me!" He shouted, then bolted forward, swinging his katana repeatedly at Mitsuru, who quickly ducked and dodged, blocking the attacks with another kunai. Mitsuru took his chance and lunged in, biting on the space between Aoi's thumb and forefinger. Aoi howled.

"BAD DOG! Get the fuck off, mutt!" He yelled angrily and jerked his hand away, just barely, revealing some skin missing. Mitsuru licked his lips, smirking before he lunged forward, elbowing Aoi hard in the gut. Aoi winced, skidding across the concrete before he rolled onto his hands and knees. He smirked, then seemed to catch something that was dragged out on the concrete.

The wire that had been used in the previous fight. Aoi grinned to himself, then let go of the wire, whipping around and rushing forward. As he ran, he whipped out several paper bombs, hurriedly sticking them down onto the wire before he ran up to Mitsuru, flinging his foot up and kicking Mitsuru in the jaw, sending him flying into the air.

Aoi swung his hand down, ripping up the wire and throwing it upwards, whipping it around so it pinned Mitsuru's arms to his sides. Mitsuru's eyes went wide.

_Shit! Paper bombs! Everywhere on this thing!_ He thought in horror, trying to rip free of the wire as he sailed up into the air. Aoi made a hand sign and the paper bombs hissed, catching fire. Several audience members gasped and Ruriko was on her feet in an instant.

"Ruriko, sit down." Itachi advised, wincing as the people behind them yelled in annoyance. Ruriko glared at him, then at the others.

"Shut your fucking mouths or I'll rip 'em off!" She barked angrily, making the audience stare at her before she whipped around in time to see Mitsuru rip the wire. As soon as the wire tore, however, the paper bombs went off, exploding in a series of black smoke and orange-red flames. Mitsuru flew back, slamming into a wall and hitting the ground. He gasped a little, spitting blood out in globs before he struggled to his hands and knees.

He yelped as Aoi grabbed a handful of his hair, jerking him backwards onto his rump, wincing. Aoi had wrapped his thick black hair around his fist, keeping an extra tight grip on it, save for several loose strands that hung in his face.

"Is that seriously all you got, Uchiha?" Aoi mocked, snickering before going into a full out barking laugh. Mitsuru gritted his teeth and swung his hands up, grabbing onto Aoi's arm and clawing at it with his sharp nails. Aoi winced, but forced a grin on his face as he watched blood bubble from the scratch marks.

"You really are a fucking animal! And people call me psycho."

"You are, you bastard! Let go!"

"Fuck no, it's your fault for having long hair." Aoi taunted with a grin and jerked at Mitsuru's hair again, ignoring the shooting pain that went up his arm. Mitsuru yelped, then growled almost animalistic-like before he swung his hand around, slamming his nails into Aoi's leg and ripping away. Aoi flinched as blood splattered onto the concrete, causing him to fall to one knee as he clasped his hands on the bloody leg. Mitsuru went to scramble away, but Aoi's grip had only loosened before he clenched it again, jerking hard.

Mitsuru yelled in pain and fell back, his head slamming into the concrete. Spotted colors danced over his vision before he managed to blink, rolling over on his side as he felt blood coming up his throat. He spat it out on the concrete, then gasped when Aoi kicked him hard in the back. Mitsuru cringed and tried to get up, but Aoi caught the black hood of his gray shirt. He was thrown back across the concrete, the black padding on his elbows protecting him from having them torn up. He swung out a kunai and slammed it into the concrete, slowing down his skidding before he scrambled to his feet, flinging the weapon toward Aoi, who ducked backwards to dodge it.

Aoi whipped around raced at Mitsuru again with his katana in hand. Eyes narrowed and teeth gritted in a sinister grin, Aoi slashed repeatedly once again. Mitsuru ducked and dodged, trying to sneak out a kunai, but Aoi kicked his hand, knocking it back. This gave Aoi the perfect opening. The Kumogakure shinobi whipped out a kunai and swung it forward. Mitsuru winced, then gasped as blood flew out his mouth and gushed from his stomach as the kunai plunged in.

"Mitsuru!" Ruriko was on her feet again, ready to jump over the railing, but Itachi and Sasuke had both leapt up, catching her by the arms.

"Ruriko! That's enough, sit down!" Sasuke snapped.

"Ruriko, please, sit down."

"NO!"

Meanwhile, Aoi let go of the kunai, stepping back with a grin as he pointed a finger down, down, down. Mitsuru looked at the kunai jutting out of his gut, seeing a tag fluttering from the handle. His eyes widened and stumbled back, grasping the handle. He jerked and cried out in pain, wincing.

"There'll be enough of you to end fucking world hunger, mutt! Tell your assfucker Hyuuga friend that I said hi!" Aoi mocked and swung his sword out, cutting the tag and causing it to flicker and catch fire. Mitsuru gasped and gripped the handle tightly, squeezing his eyes shut. He jerked hard, crying out in pain as blood splattered onto the concrete. Aoi glared, clenching his fists. Mitsuru threw the kunai to the ground, grimacing as he stumbled back a bit.

"Tough dog." Aoi snorted, then quickly back flipped out of the way as the paper bomb on the kunai lit up and exploded. Mitsuru gasped as the impact knocked him clear off his feet and sailing through the air before he hit the ground, rolling a bit before he stopped, resting on his front with his arms splayed out in front of him.

He panted harshly, lifting his bloodied face from the concrete, digging his nails into the concrete. He went to get up, but a foot came down on his back, making him cough up a glob of blood in pain. Aoi smirked, bringing up his katana.

"Don't think I'm just going to stab you and be done, I'm going to mutilate your corpse, dog!" He shouted gleefully and went to bring the katana down, but a hand clasped on his ankle, making him glare down. Mitsuru spat up a little blood, grimacing as he struggled to get the words out.

"Please…" He managed. Aoi smirked.

"Begging isn't going to get you anywhere."

"Please… Agh… Please, shut… The fuck up…" Mitsuru gritted his teeth, making a hand sign with one hand as he gripped Aoi's with the other. Aoi's eyes flashed, widening slightly before hot, shocking pain shot up his leg and into his other, spreading into his body to his very fingertips. The pain was searing and crackling like hot embers inside him and it took him a moment to realize… He was being electrocuted.

The sparking, jagged streams of electricity shot up from Mitsuru's hand around his ankle, sending large, twitching jolts throughout Aoi's body. The Kumogakure ninja gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut before the pain became too much, roasting every part of him and causing him to bark out a scream.

"Aghhhh!" Aoi finally ripped backwards, stumbling and dropping his sword before he hit the ground. Mitsuru sighed slightly, wincing.

_Damn… I'm at my limit… Sorry, but… Good luck, Sayuri…_ He thought and closed his eyes, going limp on the concrete. Tsuko frowned, then glanced toward Aoi, who was twitching and hugging his arms over his gut, growling and cursing out loud. She sighed, then smirked, thrusting up a hand.

"Harsuzoi Aoi wins the fourth match!" She announced. The crowds shrieked with excitement, some leaping to their feet. In the Genin stand, Sayuri was leaning over the railing with her teeth gritted and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Sayuri, it's all right," Hikari assured lightly, "Mitsuru's still alive! Be happy! He could have died because of that psychopathic bastard." Emiko nodded in agreement while Sayuri scowled.

"He almost did… I lost Uwasa and I'm not losing Mitsuru." Sayuri stated firmly. Hikari blinked, then smiled a bit sadly. Emiko stared sideways at Sayuri, then back at the arena as the mess below was cleaned up. The audience was still rowdy as Tsuko came out with the scroll, spinning it out, reading the next match off as:

"Hitsuki Hikari versus Uchiha Shisui!" She yelled. Hikari grinned and raced at the railing, throwing herself over the side and landing on the ground in a crouch before she popped back up to her feet, walking into position, glancing up at the Genin stands as Shisui blinked, then beamed.

"About time!" He exclaimed, but he took his sweet time heading down the stairs for this. He was still uneasy about Mitsuru, but he was slightly assured as he saw Mitsuru flinch when he was being carried away on the stretcher. He had to make sure to hurry with this match and go visit his beloved!

Shisui beamed, folding his hands behind his back and cocking his head.

"Ne, this is gonna be fun!" He grinned. Hikari smiled lightly.

"Oh yea… Hope you can beat me to a bloody pulp." She flashed him a sweet little smile, giving him a quick thumbs up. Shisui smirked. Tsuko snickered before throwing a hand up.

"Let the fifth match begin!" She yelled, then leapt back to avoid the action. Hikari went to move forward, a kunai in hand, however, Shisui reeled his fist back quickly and slammed it hard into the ground, causing the ground to vibrate. Of course, he didn't channel _all_ his strength into that blow. It'd kill everyone in the arena for sure. Hikari yelped as the ground trembled and split open. She quickly leapt off to the side as the ground broke open to reveal a dark abyss beneath it.

Shisui smirked, then swung around with kunai hooked to all his fingers. He flung them hard and Hikari easily ducked and dodged. She narrowed her eyes in concentration, activating the Byakugan in her eyes, only to blink in surprise.

_What the…? No way! I could have sworn that attack was completely chakra based! I had heard Shisui was super strong, but that strong is…! It's inhuman! This is gonna be a lot harder than I figured._ She thought with a sigh, then back flipped a bit before thrusting her kunai forward. Shisui slid to the side, then tapped his foot, glancing at Hikari with an almost wicked grin.

She frowned, then gasped as the ground trembled again and another raging crack shot at her. She scrambled out of the way, wincing as the edge of the crack cut her fingertips. She slid back across the concrete, trying to ignore the searing hot pain in her fingers. She frowned for a moment, then smirked and whipped out her hand. The blood seemed to stream forward by itself before thrusting right into Shisui's left wrist. Shisui yelped in pain and tore backwards, skidding on his feet before he came to a stop, looking at his wrist.

His own blood dribbled free, pumping out and splattering to the ground. He winced and hurriedly went to grab a bandage from his medical pouch, but Hikari wasn't having any of it. She took her chance and flung a multi-blade fuuma shuriken. The large weapon whistled and hissed in the air, aiming straight for Shisui, who jumped up into a back flip, avoiding it just in time. He landed back down and hurriedly tore off a strip of his pant leg, tying it tightly around his wrist to stop the large amount of blood that was flowing.

He grimaced, getting to his feet quickly as Hikari came at him full force with multiple high speed thrusts, almost encased by chakra. Definitely the Hyuuga style, Shisui thought with a sweat drop as he kept jerking back and to the sides. He was hit once, right in the space behind his elbow, which caused the blood in his wrist to splurt past the makeshift bandage.

Shisui cursed, then whipped around at last, swinging his fist. Hikari yelped at the surprise move, unable to move in time as Shisui's fist collided with her ribcage. Almost immediately, she could feel the bones crackle and fall apart. She went flying, zooming across the ground. She hurriedly covered her head with her arms as she slammed into the arena wall, wincing. She felt pain radiating through her body as she struggled to her feet, looking up as Shisui breathed hard. His left arm was completely limp; useless.

Hikari smiled lightly in relief, then swung around and ran at him again, ignoring the exploding pain in her torso. Shisui looked up, smirking as he narrowed his bright blue eyes. He whipped around to face her, making quick hand signs with his free hand and bringing it to his mouth, creating a large explosion of fiery hot flames. Hikari easily whirled out of the way, whipping around and using her chakra to create a path.

She easily made it through, appearing in front of Shisui and reeling her hand back for a thrust straight at his face, but his twinkling eyes made her wince in realization at her mistake. Her hand went right through his head, causing it to puff and explode into nothing.

"Ugh!" Hikari huffed in aggravation and swung around, her eyes darting about the arena before she once again activated the Byakugan, allowing for a good vision of everything. He was no where… No where to be seen, except… Hikari's eyes widened as she looked down, just in time for Shisui to come blasting from the concrete, thrusting his head hard into her gut.

Hikari flew back, skidding across the concrete and scraping up her elbows and knees before she flung herself back up, stumbling slightly. She made a hand sign.

"I'm ending this!" She announced, making Shisui's eyes flicker curiously. She bolted forward.

"Eight Trigrams! Sixty-Four Palms!" Hikari barked out and went into action, slamming each vital blow into the opponent's body, her eyes narrowed in concentration before she leapt back. Victory flowed through her as she watched Shisui wince, his body shuddering and she folded her arms over her chest.

Or at least, it seemed so.

Hikari's eyes widened as she watched Shisui glide back up to his feet again. Shisui tilted his head, the hairclip in his hair having slid out and hit the concrete with a clatter, the spring breaking loose and causing it to fall apart. Shisui smiled lightly.

"Nice moves. I would have thought you'd do something like that… Of course, your blows still got me somewhat. I'm super sore, but the fact that I encased myself with my chakra, just a thin layer, allowed me to block at least more than half the damage… Giving me enough time to do this." He reeled his fist back and slammed it full force into the ground, causing the ground to shake again. Hikari managed to catch her balance, flinching before her eyes glowed as she watched Shisui make a hand sign.

Shisui released a hot flow of flames into the crevice made in the concrete. Hikari blinked, then yelped as she felt the roaring heat of the flames underneath her in the crack on the ground. She scrambled away quickly as the flow shot up from the crack, crashing back down. Hikari barely managed to dodge the attack, scrambling away, getting to her feet.

She flung her hand out again, allowing for streams of blood to reel from her cut fingertips. Shisui back flipped, ducked, dodged and scrambled to avoid before he found himself getting closer and closer to Hikari, who gasped as Shisui stood only a couple feet away from her.

"I win!" Shisui stated with a playful grin and wink before he flung his foot up, kicking Hikari in the jaw and sending her flying into the air and slamming back down after a bounce on the concrete. Hikari spat up a good amount of blood, grimacing as she clasped the side of her head. Her ears were ringing painfully and her jaw clicked as she opened and closed her mouth.

She glanced at Shisui, who was sighing tiredly. She grimaced, trying to stand back up, but her feet gave out from under her, causing her to go down again. She looked down at her foot, her eyes wide. The bones were broken. She tried to remember how it would have happened before it hit her.

When Shisui had been up close, going in for his kick to her jaw, he had taken the liberty of stomping on her foot while he was at it. She groaned, but didn't move anymore as the pain overcame her. Tsuko smiled faintly and nodded, throwing up a hand.

"Winner of the fifth match, Uchiha Shisui!" She yelled, earning loud screams and yelling from the crowds as they rose to their feet, clapping or throwing their arms in the air. Shisui sighed again, looking down at his damaged arms and torso before he was escorted away.

_Jeez… That girl tore me up from the inside out!_ He thought in surprise.

Tsuko threw out the scroll, smirking as she watched the previous opponents leave before she looked down at the scroll. She cocked a brow, then looked up.

"The sixth match is Tsukuyomi Kazuhiko and Sasaki Yuriye!" She called up to the Genin. Yuriye cringed, fiddling with her fingers together.

_I can't fight that guy… He was with those people that attacked Nakusu and took his eye… I never even got to see what his skills were. It's like fighting with a blindfold on. It's too much of a risk. Should I drop out? Or will they just…?_ Her thoughts trail. Sayuri frowned, poking her in the shoulder curiously.

"Yuriye, didn't you hear her? She called your name." She pointed out. Yuriye nibbled on her lower lip, then took a hesitant step toward the railing.

"You don't have to." Kazuhiko stated, appearing beside her. Yuriye yelped and looked up at him with wide, surprised eyes. Kazuhiko averted his eyes.

"You don't have to fight me… It'd be a waste of time anyway." He answered. Yuriye frowned, clenching her fists a little.

"But I can't just back out. You may not want to fight, but…" Her voice trailed. Kazuhiko rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest.

"Don't even. I can tell you don't wanna fight me. It's pretty obvious, especially by the way you're all tensed up… If you won't back out, I will." He said, then raised his hand up. Yuriye gaped at him.

"But-But what about your sisters and-"

"Screw them," Kazuhiko retorted, "I don't fight for them… Hey! Tsuko-sensei, I am resigning from this battle!" Tsuko blinked, staring up at him with a cocked brow before sighing.

"By default, Sasaki Yuriye wins the sixth match!" She shouted. Some people in the audience booed, others laughing and other cheering anyway. Yuriye frowned, but said nothing as Kazuhiko turned, but not before dropping a hand on her head.

"Even if we did fight… I would've eaten you." Kazuhiko smirked, then headed out of the room, leaving Yuriye and the remainder of the participants to stare with dropped jaws.

"Eaten…?" Yuriye managed. Sayuri scowled.

"What a jerk." She muttered, then turned back to the arena as Tsuko read the next names for the seventh match.

"Nakuza Isaye and Hyogo Riko!" She yelled. Isaye slowly rose to her feet, closing her eyes and making a hand sign, vanishing from her place and appearing in position in the arena. Riko grimaced slightly, then bolted over the railing, landing in a perfect stance in the right position.

"The seventh match…. BEGINS!" Tsuko declared and jumped back just in time for Riko to use a high-powered whirlwind ninjutsu at Isaye, who easily darted away, taking short and quick steps toward her before flinging her foot around and kicking Riko in the jaw, knocking her clear across the arena.

Riko winced, scrambling to her feet hurriedly. She made a few hand signs, revealing several clones in thick plumes of smoke. She and the clones shot forward toward Isaye, who narrowed her eyes. She easily caught one in the back of the head, reeling it around to slam into two others before she punched one in the gut, throwing it over her shoulder into another. She then skidded back onto two feet before swinging around in a ballerina-like spin, flinging her foot out to practically windmill the clones into smoke.

She came to a halt in time to thrust her hand up into the real Riko's jaw, making her gasp and fly upwards. Isaye pushed up off the ground, kicking upwards sharply and swiftly before pushing off Riko's gut to flip away. Riko grimaced and moved her hand into a hand sign before flinging her fingers toward Isaye. The wind picked up around them, swirling faster and faster like a tornado.

Isaye's eyes flickered, narrowing sharply as the wind tore her backwards, heading straight for Riko, who held two kunai in her hands. Isaye swung her foot out, the speed of the wind making the force heavier as she smacked a kunai from Riko's grip with her foot, making Riko curse. She slashed the kunai out at Isaye's face, revealing a deep bloody cut, but Isaye seemed to ignore it and hurriedly swung her hand around, smacking Riko across the face.

"Ow!" Riko cried out angrily, then sliced the kunai at her repeatedly. Isaye ignored the heavy cuts on her arms and torso as well as the one across her face before she whipped around, her braided bright blonde hair whipping with the wind. A very audible _whiiip_ sound followed before she smacked her foot into Riko's face, knocking her clear out of the tornado and crashing into the concrete below.

The tornado halted, but Isaye easily flipped, using her chakra to connect her feet to the wall of the arena before shooting off and hitting the ground, landing beside Riko, who struggled to get up, wincing. Isaye narrowed her eyes down at Riko before she flung her foot up sharply, knocking Riko across the concrete and onto her back after some quick rolling. After a moment, Riko did nothing, then just nodded, huffing as she fell back down.

"The winner of the seventh battle is Nakuza Isaye!" Tsuko proclaimed proudly, grinning from ear-to-ear as the crowds whooped as the thrill spread through them all. Isaye just sighed quietly as the medical team raced in, hurrying to help them out. Tsuko looked down at the scroll.

"The next battle is Tsukuyomi Setsuna and Aburame Zakuro!" She yelled up at the Genin stands. Setsuna sighed, smiling lightly in confidence before flipping back onto the concrete arena below, her sword in hand and ready for battle. Zakuro cocked a brow behind his sunglasses.

"I have to fight a girl?" He groaned.

"Don't be so sexist, jerk!" Sayuri snapped, then grinned and smacked him hard on the back, making Zakuro flinch and tumble over the railing. Zakuro easily caught his balance, however, grumbling in annoyance before he took up a position, looking at Setsuna.

"Begin the eighth match!" Tsuko declared loudly, allowing for the crowd to scream happily. Setsuna moved fast, swinging her katana back and making a hand sign with one hand. Lightening crackled over her blade before she brought it forward, aiming it for Zakuro's head. Zakuro's body stayed tense, his arms folded over his chest before he flung his hand out to the side.

Right away, a huge flock of insects poured out the short sleeve of his black zip-up jacket, the sound of their wings buzzing obnoxiously. Setsuna's eyes widened, then winced as the blade went barreling through bugs. Zakuro quickly swung around and smacked his foot into Setsuna's back, sending her flying forward. However, she sheathed her sword in a flash before putting out her hands, ducking and rolling onto her feet, easily withdrawing her sword again.

Zakuro smirked lightly. No, he knew he was screwed the moment they said Setsuna's name, but he was just eager to see what was hidden under Setsuna's clothes. The thought made him laugh quietly to himself. Setsuna glared at him, mostly out of annoyance. She'd heard Lei and Ketsuraku talking once about how much of a perverted guy Zakuro was. It was one of the many reasons why his clan was disowning him completely.

She rushed at him, blade prepared and pointed directly at Zakuro's gut. She felt mostly shock, however, as the blade slid right through Zakuro's body. Her eyes widened as she watched the blade sink in. Zakuro looked down at her, reaching out and taking some of her loose flying hair in his hand. A couple insects eagerly crawled over his fingers and arm as well as across his face, even from under the black mask that covered the lower half of it.

"Your hair soft… How cute." He commented. Setsuna shuddered and tore the blade out, stumbling back. She watched as the gaping hole closed up with insects, the sound of them working buzzing annoyingly. She frowned and looked up at Zakuro, who tilted his head to the side, mostly out of amusement.

"Scared of bugs?" He teased, then swung his hand out. The bugs flowed over his arm from his sleeve, all of them leaping and fluttering toward Setsuna. She quickly began to slash at them, wincing as one stuck to her cheek. She could feel the tiniest bit of her chakra being pulled away from her, making her eyes widened. She reached up and smacked it before whipping her sword out again, slashing toward Zakuro, who made no move to escape the blade. The tip of the blade cut across his chest, but it merely sank into a flow of bugs. Setsuna mentally cursed before she noticed something. Zakuro's fingers were moving gently, as if controlling the bugs. She quickly skidded back to avoid another smack from Zakuro's fist.

She made a hand sign, allowing for several clones to appear around Zakuro in a wide circle before they all shot forward, swords withdrawn and ready to slash. Zakuro sighed and relaxed anyway as the blades all crashed into a nice layer of bugs that had surrounded him like a shell. The clones all exploded while the real one fell back. Setsuna grimaced, then scrambled to her feet. She brushed her hand by her weapons pouch before taking a hold of her katana tightly with said hand, thrusting it at Zakuro.

His body jerked, whipping around. The wire attached to the katana's handle had caught Zakuro's hand, wrapping his fingers together and tearing him onto his stomach. Zakuro winced and yelped as Setsuna raced forward, jumping on his back before hopping off to grab the katana up, tearing it forward again, practically dragging Zakuro a good ways before she stomped hard on his hands.

Zakuro winced and cursed out loud.

"I give!" He barked. Setsuna tried not to smirk, but the smile showed anyway as she jerked her katana out of the concrete. She rested it on her shoulder, looking down at him confidently.

"And I win." She said softly. Tsuko giggled.

"Yes, you do," She told her, then whipped around toward the audience, throwing her arms up, "Tsukuyomi Setsuna wins the eighth battle!" Everyone hollered and roared with joy, shaking the arena. A small medical team came out, but Zakuro easily ignored them, slipping away while Setsuna brushed herself off, nodding to the assisting medical team to merely escort her to her brother.

"We will be taking a short break! The next battle will be between Hitsuki Emiko and Haruno Mitasu!" Tsuko shouted, earning murmurs and yells from the crowds. Up in the stands, Sasuke sighed, then frowned. Itachi and Ruriko had immediately rushed to see Mitsuru in the hospital in hopes of his being okay. He rather hoped his nephew was okay as well.

"Hey, uncle," Haruke said from the seat beside him, "Is it possible for someone to die during the final exams?" Sasuke frowned, glancing at his small nephew, who was watching the arena be cleaned up and fixed again with curiously narrowed eyes.

"I suppose so… Don't be worrying about it." He replied calmly, then looked back. On Haruke's other side, Miwa and Manabu shifted uncomfortably, looking at each other worriedly.

"I don't want someone to die." Manabu murmured. Miwa nodded, hugging Manabu's arm and pouting a little.

"Same here, Manabu… Same here…" She murmured and snuggled close to him. Manabu did the same, sighing quietly. On Sasuke's right, Nakusu remained silent, his fists clenched tightly in his lap as he watched with a single eye. He was annoyed, deeply annoyed. He was supposed to be down there battling as well, saving a poor unfortunate soul from having a second battle.

At the same time, he was thankful to be in the stands. Why waste his time being down there and getting kicked around by hotheads like his brother or cousins or friends? No, he shouldn't think like that… He knew full well that Yuriye wasn't hotheaded… He blushed lightly, biting into his lip. He was very thankful that Yuriye wasn't battling Kazuhiko.

He wasn't about to watch Yuriye be harmed. It would tempt him to run down there and get involved, which would probably anger everyone, including Yuriye and embarrass himself. He sighed, loosening up a bit, but it didn't last long as a voice cut into his thoughts.

"May I sit here?" A familiar, almost sharp voice asked. Nakusu jerked his head up to his right. He knew his dad was staring in shock as well. A medium-sized woman with bright pink hair tied up into a long spiky ponytail stood there, her green eyes glowing like the leaves in spring. She wore a red tank top with a high, unzipped collar, hardly a belly-part and a red skirt over tight black shorts, a pair of knee-high black boots with buckled straps over black padding finishing her attire, save for the headband tied on her head like a headband.

"S-Sakura." Sasuke stated in surprise. Sakura cocked a brow, pursing her red painted lips as she placed a hand on her hip.

"It was a simple question."

"Go ahead." Sasuke replied automatically at last, then jerked his head away toward the arena with a look of annoyance. Nakusu sweat dropped. Oh no, he knew… You never, ever sit your divorced parents together, particularly if you're in the middle. As if his life couldn't get any worse.

"… You came here to watch Mitasu?" Sasuke asked, not looking at Sakura, who merely glanced at him out the corner of her eye before looking back at the arena.

"Of course. I support him. What about you? Here to make fun of Shisui or something?" Sakura challenged immediately. Sasuke twitched, but he seemed to be trying to smile anyway.

"No… I'm here to support Shisui and my family. You still have a big mouth…"

"You're one to talk, Mr. I-Can't-Stand-The-Blankets-Being-On-Me."

"Oh, don't start with that again, please. It took me this long to get you to shut up."

"I beg your pardon? It's not my fault you literally ripped the blankets off us every single night! You have no idea how fucking cold that house can get, Sasuke! And how much it reeked. You always came home stinking of B.O.""Oh, yea. Because I can control that."

"It's called cologne!"

"It's called working, lady!"

"Lady! Ha! Did your little brain die without me? I heard you almost caught your house on fire trying to make dinner, like a hundred times."

"Only once, but that's because _someone_ neglected to inform me that the pilot light on the stove was out!"

"Me? How is that my fault, I wasn't even there!"

"It was the day _after_ you left!"

"Oh for god's sake!" Sakura retorted and the arguing continued. Nakusu groaned and covered his ears tightly, gritting his teeth, but even so, he could still hear the yelling going on between his parents. He tensed up more and more as the aggravation seemed to take over everything inside him.

"All right," He yelled, making them glare at him, "Shut up! Father, really, I truly appreciate you caring for us, no matter how much you have almost killed us and the house and mother, thank you for giving birth to me, but both of you, shut up already!"

Sasuke stared at him, then sat back in his seat stiffly, staring out into the arena. Sakura frowned, then sat back with her arms folded. They sat in silence for a while, Nakusu sighing in comfort before Sakura gasped, sitting back up and glaring at Sasuke.

"You almost killed them? ON WHAT OCCASIONS?"

"For fuck's sake, Sakura, sit down and be quiet already. We can't argue like this throughout the entire match, unless you want to miss Mitasu fight."

"Hmph," Sakura retorted, then sat back comfortably, shifting her shoulder from side to side, "Almost killing my kids… I outta take them away from you." Sasuke's eyes flashed and he stared at her. Nakusu could tell his father was tensing up now. He frowned, then looked at his mother. He hadn't known her as well as Shisui nor much of why his parents had split up.

After all, he was practically a baby when his mother had packed up and left immediately without hardly another word.

He only knew the basics and things he'd heard from his father and Shisui. The thought of living with his mother unnerved him. _Like living with a complete stranger…_ Nakusu realized, staring at his lap.

"No." Sasuke stated. Nakusu looked up, surprised. Sakura glared at him.

"What?"

"I said no. They're staying with me. I've had a lot of things taken away from me, Sakura, and Shisui and Nakusu are not going to be one of them." Sasuke ground out firmly. Sakura stared at him with wide, unblinking green eyes as she lowered her hands to her lap in surprise. Nakusu averted his eye. He hardly knew what to say.

He had been angry with his father for forcing him to drop from the exams without even asking his permission, but now he could see why. His father knew. Oh, he knew very well that Nakusu wasn't up for physical battles, wasn't mentally prepared to fight someone in such a battle, and he was obviously at a disadvantage as he was having trouble navigating with just a single eye.

"Sasuke." Sakura murmured. It was all she could say as Sasuke averted his eyes toward Nakusu sadly. Nakusu looked back at him, his sad expression softening into a light and thankful smile. Sasuke smiled back, then looked toward the arena in silence.

The ninth match was finally set to begin.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Phew. Okay, here's some updates, good news and bad news. Good news first… YOUMACON IS COMING UP. Yay. xD I will still be updating then too, no worries, I have my handy-dandy USB and laptop. I also have great ideas, so don't worry about that either. As for the bad news, my arms are very numb again, from my wrist to my elbows. It's not good and I'm trying to get money so I can get a doctor's appointment and find out once and for all what is wrong. I just soooo hope it's nothing like carpal tunnel syndrome or anything painful like that D:! Well, I think that's about it for now. Thanks so uber much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are the best things everrrrrr!**


	21. Chapter 21

**UPDATE! AT LAST :D!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I already claimed as my own and shall repeat later!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Chapter Twenty-One: The Final Battles! The Blanket of Death!**

"Let's do this," Tsuko beamed as she thrust her hand up, glancing at Emiko, who kept her position ready while Mitasu shifted a bit uncomfortably, "Let the ninth match BEGIN!"

At first, neither moved. Mitasu kept his eyes locked on Emiko, as if daring her to begin first, but on the inside, his mind was racing faster than any body flicker technique there was. He clenched his fists as Emiko stared at him, her hands flat at her sides. She seemed to be analyzing him carefully. Mitasu held his breath, then darted forward first as he whipped out a kunai. Emiko's eyes flashed, narrowing as she shot off to the side to avoid Mitasu's sharp slash. Almost immediately, the Byakugan in her eyes was turned on as she whipped around, swinging her hand back to smack into Mitasu's back.

Mitasu ducked and rolled just in time, barely avoiding the tips of Emiko's fingers as she spun on her heel before skidding a couple feet away from Mitasu. She frowned, pressing the pads of her fingers to the cement floor firmly.

_He's pretty fast… At first glance, I thought he was just going to be like his stepbrother, Shisui. I'll have to be as fast as I can to end this battle quickly._ She thought and gave a nod, more to herself. She bolted forward, swinging a hand up to slam into Mitasu's jaw only to have his fist thrust forward, slammed right into her ribs. Emiko winced, gasping as blood dribbled down her chin. She immediately flipped back, grasping her ribcage to feel the broken bone.

Mitasu was holding his jaw where a bruise formed from Emiko's hit, while the hand he used to attack Emiko was now glowing a cool green color. Emiko's eyes narrowed as she recognized the medical style ninjutsu. She ran forward again, doing a flip over Mitasu, who thrust several senbon in her direction. Emiko whipped around in the air, deflecting the weapons before she landed with a skid on the cement.

She raced forward again, aiming her hand at Mitasu's face. Mitasu yelped in surprise at the straight forward attack and flew back, landing on his hands and quickly bringing his feet up to kick Emiko in the face if she hadn't of jumped up.

The Byakugan in her eyes seemed to flare as she narrowed her eyes in concentration before making a hand sign and muttering under her breath.

"Eight Trigrams… Sixty Four Palms!" Emiko landed on the ground before taking position, her hands moving in a blur of motion. Mitasu could only take a step back before each outstretched palm was thrust against his vital points.

_SMACK_

_SMACK_

_SMACK_

In moments, Mitasu on his knees, panting for air, feeling sluggish. He grimaced, then glanced up at Emiko who stood in front of him calmly, her arms at her sides.

"I'm amazed, most people would've fallen on their face. You didn't copy your stepbrother, did you?" Emiko mused quietly. Mitasu shook his head lightly, then cocked his head up at her.

"Not my thing…" He responded under his breath, then glanced out the corner of his eye at Tsuko, who blinked at attention, then gave a nod as she thrust a hand up.

"Hitsuki Emiko wins battle nine!" Tsuko announced, earning loud ear-piercing cheers from the ground. Up in the stands, Sakura cursed under her breath and rose to her feet.

"Might as well go take Mitasu to the hospital…" She muttered, turning to go without a word to her ex-husband until Nakusu stopped her. His hand grasped her wrist tightly, making her head snap to the sound almost dangerously at first before her expression softened at the sight of Nakusu staring up at her.

"I am sorry, mother, but even if you really wanted to take us away from father, Shisui and I, I mean, we will not go willingly. I hope you know this." Nakusu stated. Sakura's eyes flickered lightly as she looked at Sasuke, who in turn stared at Nakusu with a bit of perplexity on his face. Sakura paused, then gave a nod and turned, walking up the steps with the only sound following her were the cheers around her and her heels clicking.

"Nakusu…"

"Just saying." Nakusu replied to his father as he settled back in his seat comfortably. Sasuke stared at him for a while longer, then turned to face the arena.

_And all this time I thought he was angry at me for pulling him out of the exams…_ He thought, averting his eyes for a split second before looking back as Tsuko stepped into the arena after the medical ninja came back in.

"The tenth battle includes Hatake Sayuri and Tsukuyomi Arisu!" Tsuko declared, glancing up at the balcony where the Genin were situated. Arisu smirked faintly as she reached up, adjusting her dark purple glasses before she hopped onto the railing. Kazuhiko stood beside her, leaning on said railing with a flat expression.

"You should back out." He stated. Arisu blinked, then flashed him a sharp look.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She demanded icily, her orchid hair falling over her shoulders while her silver bangs hid the vein pounding in her forehead. Kazuhiko glanced at her, then rested a hand on the jar on his hip. Inside, the darkness swirled violently, almost as if trying to shout for attention. Kazuhiko looked at his sister.

"She's a lot stronger than she looks, Arisu. If you don't wanna humiliate yourself, you should back-"

"No way," Sayuri interrupted them, coming in between and making Arisu jump a little and turn to glare, "If she wants to get her ass kicked, then I say she can go for it." Arisu's gold and pale pink eyes seemed to charge with electricity as she gritted her teeth. She swung around and hopped off the railing, moving into position. Sayuri smirked cockily, stepping up to the rail.

"Between you and me," Kazuhiko drawled, making Sayuri glance at him slightly in annoyance, "I'm hoping you can beat some sense into her."

"With pleasure." Sayuri responded, but none too kindly. The fact that this guy was probably still digesting her teammate's corpse was making her sick to her stomach, so she shook her head quickly before hopping over the side of the railing and landing into place.

"Good luck you two." Tsuko winked, flicking her tongue out before flinging a hand up and shouting to begin. Arisu wasted not a moment and began to whip out hand signs, only getting part way through before Sayuri swung a kunai at her. Arisu winced and caught it just before it hit her chest, her hands bleeding from catching the blade. She jerked her head up, glaring icily as Sayuri stuck out her tongue before rushing forward.

Arisu flinched, tossing the kunai away and swinging up at hand that began to glow a pale blue. Sayuri quickly skidded to a stop, her dark eyes flashing as she barely managed to avoid the attack. She swung her foot up right after, kicking Arisu in the jaw. Arisu went flying, then slammed into the concrete with a painful _crack_. Sayuri smirked as she lowered her foot.

"At this rate, you're hardly much of a challenge." She mocked, earning a dark scowl from Arisu, who got to her feet. Arisu swung her hand out toward Sayuri, flexing her fingers apart. The glowing blue aura stretched before it became sharpened ends on her fingers. Arisu flung her hand back, then forward toward Sayuri, who flinched.

Five razor sharp objects hurled toward her, whistling through the air. Sayuri immediately jumped up, just barely avoiding them before she came back to the ground, whipping out a kunai. Arisu was rushing at her in an instant, taking out her own kunai.

The weapons clashed together, sparks flying as both weapons flung back, smacking into the concrete. Sayuri took her chance, when Arisu averted her eyes to the fallen weapons, and thrust her fist forward. Arisu gasped, blood flying out her mouth as Sayuri's fist collided with her gut. She went flying across the arena, slamming into the ground. She cursed, spitting blood to the ground as she glared at Sayuri, who smirked.

"Is that it?" She asked, putting a hand on her hip, but she knew even as she spoke that Arisu wasn't even close to being finished. Arisu rose to her feet and in a flash, her hands were moving, catching Sayuri off guard so she only had time to blink before the scenery before her changed. She went still as the world seemed to ripple, morphing into what appeared to be the scene from the second portion of the exams. Almost immediately, Sayuri recognized what was going to happen as she watched Uwasa easily kicking back a Kumogakure shinobi.

"That's pretty sick." Sayuri muttered, glaring around in hopes of finding Arisu, but she wasn't seeing the girl anywhere. She went to step forward, but suddenly, something cut into her ankle, making her wince. There was nothing there, but the wound on her ankle was real enough. Sayuri didn't move now, merely lifted her eyes in time to see Uwasa turn.

"Uwasa, move!" Sayuri heard herself shout but it was muffled sounding. In a flash, a sharp piece of earth shot forward through Uwasa's torso, making him gasp. Sayuri flinched as blood splattered across her face, caking her in thick gooey tendrils. She froze, staring at the scene before her before she gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes.

_She's underestimating me… The reason I'm pushing as hard as I am is because I swore I'd become a Chuunin. I know Uwasa's backing me up. He wouldn't want me to be affected by such a lame jutsu…_ Sayuri thought before a smile crept onto her face. It fell away quickly as she sighed and collapsed to her knees, slumping forward with her eyes closed.

The scenery immediately changed back to reveal gashes in Sayuri's ankle, torso, arms, and across her face. Even so, Sayuri remained still as Arisu smirked lightly, walking forward. Arisu flipped up a kunai, gripping it tightly.

"You're a shame to kunoichi everywhere. Crying for a pathetic, fallen teammate… You should be glad that I'm planning to not only wipe the floor with your carcass, but wipe you off the face of the planet. Some child of the Copy ninja." She taunted, then raised up the kunai, swinging it down toward Sayuri's head.

_KUH-SMACK!_

Arisu gasped as Sayuri's grip caught her wrist, just an inch from the blade touching her hair. Sayuri glared up at her, a cocky smirk on her face.

"You're a fucking hypocrite! Look at you, dressed like you're trying to get the boys to hump your leg like a dog! If anyone's a shame, it's you!" She barked, then easily shot to her feet, whipping Arisu around by her wrist and sending her flying across the arena, slamming into a wall. Arisu winced, then flashed a glare toward Sayuri, moving to make hand signs for another genjutsu.

Sayuri whipped around and made a hand sign, revealing several clones that rushed forward while she stayed behind, making more hand signs. _Sorry, but this looks like the only way to get rid of this stupid witch._ She thought in annoyance and finished the hand sign, thrusting her hand downwards. Electricity screeched and crackled through the air in a web array of blue and white while the crowd 'ooed' and 'ahhed'.

Sayuri brought her hand down before bolting forward as fast as she could. Arisu heard the shrieking just as she fought off the last clone, her eyes flickering upwards and widening just as Sayuri approached her, kicking up off the ground and flipping before she rammed her hand down and forward.

_CRACK-SPLUSH_

Blood splattered across the cement in thick globs, pooling around two pairs of feet that became soaked with the liquid. Sayuri glared past the blood that had splashed up onto her, one again and for real. Arisu stared at her as blood bubbled from the wound through her gut. Her hand was grasped tightly on Sayuri's wrist, trembled slightly.

"Nice job," Sayuri muttered bitterly, "Grabbing my arm like that made me miss your lungs, but not your stomach." She clenched her fist, which had appeared coming out of Arisu's back. She tore her arm back, stumbling slightly as she shook off the blood and flesh. She looked at Arisu, who grimaced a bit, taking a step back before she pressed herself against the side of the arena.

"Che," Arisu retorted, her voice shaky as she placed a hand over her wound, "You don't really think this is over, do you? You have no _idea_ what's going on, little girl…" Her voice trailed as she shut her eyes tightly, her hand beginning to glow brightly. Sayuri blinked, staring in awe as the flesh in Arisu's wound began to swallow itself up.

"What the hell?" Sayuri demanded angrily, clenching her fists. Arisu smirked at her, tilting her head back.

"Oh, please. I'm a highly skilled medical ninja, don't say you didn't expect that… I'm here to crush you before anyone else." She responded hotly, her eyes glancing toward the Genin stands. Sayuri frowned and followed her gaze. Arisu was staring intently at Kazuhiko, who seemed to stare back rather flatly, his hand resting on the jar. Arisu smirked, then looked back at Sayuri, who did the same.

"See that jar there? The one my brother has."

"Yea, so what?"

"That jar contains something as powerful as a bomb, enough to blow the stadium and people off the planet." Arisu replied calmly. Sayuri's eyes widened before narrowing to dangerous slits.

"You're lying."

"Why would I lie? If it was nothing, then Kazuhiko would be dead right now…"

"Che, some confidence you have in your brother."

"Hmph," Arisu smirked, pushing off the wall as she lowered her hand to her side, tilting her head, "Come on, you have an older brother, right? Sakumo… He's pretty handsome, for being related to you." Sayuri twitched angrily, spitting at her. Arisu ignored it, glancing up toward the arena, her eyes scanning before looking back to Sayuri.

"Your brother's pretty smart, strong. A lot of people know and love him for it, even if he doesn't admit to being so cool."

"Tch."

"Believe me," Arisu drawled, waving a hand out, shaking her head, "I know how it is, only Kazuhiko gets attention for just being the oldest and so depressing. The point of this is, Kazuhiko has something that'll kill your entire family, all your friends, and yourself. BUT, I want to kill you myself."

"You're an idiot." Sayuri seethed past clenched teeth. Arisu smiled faintly.

"No, I'm selfish, but hey, think of it this way… If I kill you know, then you won't have to worry about watching your family and friends die. Consider it mercy."

"Mercy," Sayuri rolled her eyes, taking out a kunai, "Yea, right. Whether I believe you or not, you're screwed because I'm not giving up. I swore I'd become a Chuunin and I'm going to do it."

"Hmph." Arisu shrugged, then whipped her hand out to punch Sayuri, but the Konohagakure kunoichi easily ducked to the side, swinging her kunai around. Arisu's eyes flashed as the kunai slammed right into her side, making her wince. Sayuri whipped around and kicked Arisu hard in the back, sending her sprawling, rolling a bit, onto the concrete.

Arisu spat up more blood, frowning as she glared at the pool around her. _I shouldn't have wasted that time… In doing so, I didn't have enough time to heal entirely._ She thought angrily, then whipped around, catching Sayuri's legs between her own and knocking her to the ground. Sayuri winced as the back of her head smacked into the concrete, sending bright flashes of colorful lights popping up across her vision momentarily.

Arisu swung herself into a sitting position, wincing as the skin hiding her wound began to rip upwards. She ignored it as she brought a hand up, allowing the chakra to gather in her palm before she aimed to swing it down. Sayuri's vision came back just as the glowing orb came crashing down toward her face. She jerked her head to the side, barely avoiding it as Arisu's fist crashed into the cement. Arisu barked out several curses as the bones in her hand audibly crackled. Sayuri took her chance and punched Arisu hard in the face, snapping her glasses in two. Arisu flew back into the ground, her head cracking against the cement as Sayuri scrambled to her feet, wincing at the slight dizziness inside her.

She swung her foot out as Arisu tried to sit again, knocking Arisu back a final time. There was silence that followed before Sayuri realized Arisu was no longer moving nor going to move.

"The winner of the tenth match is Hatake Sayuri!" Tsuko yelled happily, although, she knew something was wrong as Sayuri stepped up to her fallen opponent. Sayuri frowned as she stepped up beside Arisu. Blood had become a thick puddle around her, coming from her torn wound as well as a wound cut in the back of her head.

_Is she… Dead? Did I kill her?_ Sayuri thought, her eyes widening slightly. She looked up as the medical team raced out quickly with their supplies, only two stopping to assist her.

"Is she dead?" Sayuri asked a pale, blonde-haired medical ninja. He turned to glance at her with curious blue eyes, a beauty mark under his left eye while his skin was lightly tanned.

"She's got some serious wounds. We're going to have to take her to the emergency care center… Right now, her fate is cloudy." He explained calmly, studying Sayuri closely.

"Oh… Okay…" She murmured, but she got a bad vibe off this weird medical ninja. It was almost as if he was analyzing her. She turned and followed the other two medical ninjas while the blonde medic turned to a red-eyed 'medic' beside him.

"Her face is awfully similar." He murmured. The female medic ninja narrowed her red eyes as they slowly turned black, blacker than night.

"Indeed… But don't waste your time contemplating. My student is dying."

"Oh, right, right… But at least you'd still have two left, right?" The blondie smirked, cocking his head, only to receive another red-eyed glare. He sighed, but got to work carrying the stretcher.

"Battle eleven," Tsuko announced, "Between Yagani Yuko and Uchiha Haruhi!" She looked toward the Genin stands, holding up a finger however to halt as the arena needed to be scrubbed clean. Haruhi shifted uncomfortably, averting his eyes toward Yuko, who was looking back at him before looking out the arena with a light sigh. A hand smacked on her back, making her jump and turn to see Lei standing behind her, all bandaged up and wearing a new Chinese-style pine green jacket that reached his ankles.

"Go for it, Yuko! I'm rootin' for ya! And try not to make it all messy." He added with a closed-eye smile. Yuko stared at him for a bit, then gave a nod before looking out to the arena, watching the mops soak up the blood. She grimaced slightly, clenching her fists over the railing.

"That was pretty bloody…" She murmured. Lei nodded, tilting his head from side to side to scan the arena.

"Rather amusing… Oh, but sorry about your sister!" He added quickly as he realized Kazuhiko was standing to his right. Yuko glared at Lei before looking at Kazuhiko to see his reaction.

Nothing. Kazuhiko seemed as daydreamy as usual before he glanced out the corner of his eye and back to the arena.

"Don't apologize to me… She deserves it for running in like a cocky brat." He answered calmly.

"But she's your sister." Yuko pointed out quietly, studying Kazuhiko's plain expression. To Kazuhiko's right, Haruhi merely rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest and giving his head a shake.

_He's just putting on a show… Or maybe he's just really that cold-hearted…_ He thought, glancing toward Kazuhiko, but he found his eyes drifting down to the jar on said boy's waist. Haruhi frowned, watching as the darkness inside swirled up toward the cap of the jar.

"You may enter the arena!" Tsuko called up to them. Haruhi and Yuko jumped at attention before jumping out onto the concrete. They took up their positions, facing each other with serious expressions as Tsuko flung her hand out, calling out the beginning of the match.

Haruhi's dark purple, almost black eyes, became red with Sharingan as he immediately whipped out a kunai, rushing forward. Yuko's eyes widened slightly before she whipped out several shuriken on one hand, a kunai in the other. She flung the shuriken forward, only to have them easily blocked by Haruhi's kunai.

Their weapons crashed together loudly, sending sparks flying. Yuko's eyes seemed to be locked right with Haruhi's for a split second before they dropped to his feet. Yuko pushed back, skidding before she caught her balance and threw her kunai forward, making a hand sign.

The kunai burst into a jagged spear of screeching flames. Haruhi's eyes narrowed as he jumped up, flipping over the attack and listening to it explode behind him as it hit the concrete.

Haruhi made a few hand signs before leaping back, using fire ball jutsu to create a large wall of flames that licked at the sky hungrily. Yuko's eyes narrowed in concentration as she made a hand sign, thrusting her hands downwards as flames crept up along her body, setting her aflame quickly.

She bolted forward, blending with the fire before her easily. On the other side, Haruhi was quickly making a hand sign before he looked up. Yuko blinked as their eyes locked, much to her surprise that he could even see her through the hot flames. In that moment, an odd sensation came over Yuko. She felt as if someone was thrusting a finger at her brain violently, probing around for something.

She quickly shook her head and shot backwards behind the wall of flames, her own flames going out as she landed on her feet, trying to overcome the dizziness. She paused, frowning as the flames subsided slowly, billowing downwards. Haruhi was staring at her now, his fists clenched before they whipped up into a hand sign.

Yuko blinked and in a flash, she felt all the air in her lungs rush out as bubbles floated above her. In the blink of an eye, she found herself dunked deep under water. The water was tugging her down, down, down, deeper into the murky abyss. She opened her mouth and water rushed in, clogging up her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, reaching up to grasp at her throat for a moment before realization hit her.

_Genjutsu! But how did he know…?_ She thought, her hands slowly lowering to make a release hand sign. In a flash, all the water around her whipped around into oblivion to reveal the cleared arena and Haruhi frowning at her, taking out a kunai and ready to attack again.

Yuko's eyes flashed and she moved quickly, making a hand sign. Fire exploded towards Haruhi, who leapt back, making a fire jutsu himself to deflect the attack. Fire screamed upwards in a thick wall toward the sky, sending black smoke rising. Haruhi stepped back, putting a hand over his face to block the heat as he squinted into its blurry mass.

Just in time for Yuko to come bursting through, fire engulfing her as she swung her fist back, slamming it forward into Haruhi's chest. He flew back and slammed into the concrete harshly, rolling a bit before he hit the wall. He gasped in pain, wincing a little as he struggled to his hands and knees.

Pain racked his body as he looked down to see that the flaming punch to his chest and burnt the skin rather severely, revealing blistering red goo. Haruhi didn't move, staring at it before he glanced up at Yuko, who was pulling out a kunai. Haruhi went to take out his own, but Yuko's kunai slammed into the palm of his hand, pinning it.

"Damn it!" Haruhi barked out angrily, grimacing slightly. Tsuko studied Haruhi's position, receiving a nod from said boy before smirking up at the on-lookers.

"The winner of this match is Yagani Yuko!" She declared aloud. The crowds roared with excitement as the medical team raced out onto the arena to tend to the wounded. Tsuko looked at her scroll, her eyes glowing as she lifted them to the crowd.

"The next and final match will be Hatake Sayuri versus Harsuzoi Aoi!" She proclaimed, looking toward the entrance where Sayuri was just making her way out, blinking before smirking lightly.

_Well, just got outta some bandaging and I have to fight that asshole, huh… Haven't seen him since his match with Mitsuru…_ She thought, then averted her eyes with a light frown at the thought of Mitsuru. She'd seen him at the hospital, but he was still unconscious and receiving about the same treatment as Arisu. She'd also seen the Huyu boy, Aoi's teammate. According to the medical ninja, he was the one in the worst condition as every time he awoke, he was ripping at his skin, attempting to tear himself apart.

_Whatever jutsu Lei used on him, it's still in effect and it's pretty bad… I'd only seen Huyu conscious once while I was at the hospital…_ She thought as she stepped out into position, but looked toward the entrance, seeing no sign of Aoi. She looked at Tsuko, who cocked a brow, glancing at the sky and the sun's position before looking back.

"Well then… It seems you may just win due to def-"

"DEFAULT MY ASS, I'M HERE!" A voice shouted angrily. Tsuko jumped and glared at the entrance. Sayuri frowned and followed the proctor's eyes. Aoi came walking through the entrance, his pale skin bearing several band-aids while his amber eyes glowed behind his disheveled dark hair. His dark gray, long sleeved zipper was still intact with the tiger-stripe like rips matching those in his pants. The katana on his back was good as clean, but his shoes were stained with dried blood as the headband around his waist sparkled in the sunlight.

Behind him, a medical ninja with a very evident bruise on his face stumbled after.

"Aoi, you're not ready to be fighting…!" His voice trailed as Aoi whipped around, flipping him the finger and sticking out his tongue.

"Bite me, jackass! I'm fighting that girl anyway!" He retorted, then whipped around to smirk at Sayuri, who's eyes narrowed dangerously at the insult. Aoi approached his position, a few feet before Sayuri.

"About time. I've fucking killed two of your teammates, now it's time for you." He taunted, folding his arms over his chest. Sayuri scowled.

"Mitsuru's not dead, nor will he die. He's a lot stronger than you give him credit for, ass clown." She snapped back. Aoi blinked, then cocked a brow, smirking again.

"Tch, it's all right, girly, I'll let you fantasize that while I'm beating the fucking shit outta you and your pretty little ass." He answered. Sayuri felt heat rise in her face, mostly out of anger. Tsuko frowned, bringing her hand up, mentally willing Sayuri to kill this _thing_.

"BEGIN!" She declared. Aoi whipped out several shuriken in one hand, moving so quickly that Sayuri barely had time to dodge to the side, ducking and rolling before skidding to her feet as the shuriken dotted a line after her. She jerked her head up to glare at Aoi as he smirked at her, reaching behind him and unsheathing his katana.

"Do your fucking best, little girl," He mocked, "That mutt of a teammate of yours didn't even scratch me."

"Bull shit," Sayuri spat angrily before forcing a mocking laugh that made Aoi's expression twist into a sneer, "Ha! I saw you! When Mitsuru electrocuted you like that, you screamed like a baby!"

"Shut your damn mouth!" Aoi barked and lunged forward, slashing his katana sharply toward Sayuri's face. Sayuri glared and dodged to the side, swinging her foot up and kicking Aoi's hand, knocking the katana flying through the air. Aoi glared at her before he made a hand sign. A chunk of the earth jerked upwards, making Sayuri lose her balance.

A round piece of earth, carrying both Sayuri and Aoi, shot into the air, allowing Aoi to grab his katana again so he could smash it down at her. Sayuri rolled out the way just in time, almost sliding off the edge, but she scrambled back and ducked another slash from Aoi, ducking between his legs and whipping around to kick him hard. Aoi skidded forward before he jammed his katana into the ground, whipping around off his feet and getting back on perfectly.

He smirked and let go of his stuck katana, reaching into his weapon pouch with both hands and whipping out shuriken, each one carrying very powerful paper bombs. Sayuri's eyes flashed as she stepped back.

"Tell your teammates I said SEE YA, SEE YA! WOULDN'T WANNA BE YA!" Aoi shouted tauntingly and flung the shuriken forward, back flipping off the mound of earth and landing down below.

Most of the shuriken were dodged… Most. One stuck in Sayuri's shoulders, one in the palm of her hand as she caught it while the others hit the ground around her, the tags on all of them immediately igniting. Sayuri glared at them and quickly ripped them off, doing a back flip and ignoring the searing pain in her shoulders and hand.

She landed on the ground below, breathing hard as the explosions from above went off all together like a chorus of ear-shattering _CRACK-A-BOOMS_! Sayuri glared at the mound of earth as it crumbled.

_Chidori… It's the only way to really kill this guy, get rid of him for good for hurting Mitsuru and killing Uwasa… But I've already used it once. I wasted it on that stupid girl… Two more times only, even so, it'll wipe me out! This is my chance to burst through the rubble…_ She thought, then made the hand signs quickly as she leapt back a few feet, charging up the speed as the rubble crashed down, creating a huge cloud of smoke.

She swung her hand back, grimacing as pain shot up her arm. Electricity crackled sharply through the air like a million birds chirping as she skidded back before rushing back forward as fast as she could. She leapt through the dust and came through in time to see Aoi turning back around quickly to stare in surprise.

The screeching wad of electricity crackled through Aoi's chest, blood splattering out to the concrete. Sayuri smirked, but it fell away as she realized her mistake. The electricity faded as the false Aoi began to melt and harden.

Clay engulfed her arm, holding her completely still as she tried to break free. She looked around to see Aoi bursting up from the ground, laughing out loud.

"Caught ya! Didn't think I knew about that, think again! I saw you use it on that girl a while ago when I ran away from the hospital! Smooth move, little girl!" Aoi laughed as he swung his katana around to slash Sayuri through her mid-section. Sayuri winced and made a hand sign, releasing a shadow clone that swung around and slammed into Aoi, knocking him off course and making his katana hit the ground at the real Sayuri's feet.

Aoi stabbed the clone in the face, smirking lightly in satisfaction of it before he scrambled to his feet.

"You can't summon clones for the rest of this match, girly!" He yelled, then whipped out a kunai and thrust it forward before Sayuri could even blink. Sayuri managed to step off to the side, then winced as the kunai stuck in the clay around her arm revealing a fluttering paper bomb.

_Shit… No, wait… If that explodes, my arm'll be free and I can use chidori a final time, but this time, I can't be so careless. I have to focus and find a perfect entry point._ She thought with a confident nod, then squeezed her eyes shut and waited as the paper bomb floated with flames.

_KABOOM!_

The explosion sent Sayuri flying through the air, slamming into the arena wall on the other side of the area. Aoi laughed, reaching round and grabbing up his katana, clenching it tightly in his fist as he approached Sayuri, who had fallen flat to the ground, breathing hard for air as she grasped at her busted ribcage.

Blood bubbled around a rub that had pierced through her skin, its whiteness glowing amongst all the deep red. Sayuri looked up as Aoi stood over her with his katana up, his expression lit up with excitement.

"I might just take my time with you, brat. Girls like you are so fucking _fun_ to play with!" He snickered, then swung his katana back, slamming it into the ground. He reached down, grabbing up a handful of Sayuri's short silver hair. He tore her to her knees, reeling his fist back. He rammed it straight into her gut, making her gasp and cough up a glob of blood.

He smirked and tore her up further, grabbing her throat now so she was dangling over the ground. Sayuri glared at him and spat a bit of blood at his cheek. Aoi smirked anyway before grinning widely, clenching his fist and reeling his other fist back.

_Now!_ Sayuri thought as she finished the hand signs she had begun to weave. She reeled her fist back and swung her fist forward, electricity crackling loudly and powerfully.

_KRACK-KUH_

_SPLASH_

Blood caked the arena in a deep red sea, the heat of it curling. The red liquid splattered up on Sayuri as well as Aoi, who's eyes widened, his body stiffening. Sayuri pried Aoi's fingers from her throat and she hit the ground, her arm ripping out of Aoi's chest, just between his lungs. He was still frozen as the blood gushing in torrents to the ground, each time his heart beat.

His eyelids fluttered at last as his arm fell to his side, his legs collapsing so he fell to his knees. Sayuri grimaced, pulling herself up out of the puddle of blood, getting on her hands and knees. She glanced out the corner of her eye at Aoi, who was struggling to stay coconscious now. Blood dribbled down the sides of his mouth and down his chin, staining his gritted teeth.

"Fucking… Shit…" Aoi managed to curse. Sayuri spat up some blood, wiping her mouth as she slowly forced herself to her feet, glaring down at Aoi, who was glaring at her past tired eyelids. She noted that the color in his eyes were beginning to fade.

"Go to hell, you murderous bastard." Sayuri spat at him and reeled her open palm back.

_SMACK!_

Her hand slapped across Aoi's face, leaving an angry red mark on his cheek as his head flung to the side. His eyes closed with that and he fell backwards into his blood, the sound of his jaw cracking slightly following.

"The winner of the final battle is Hatake Sayuri!"

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**A/N: o-o I am soooo sorry this took so long. I sort of lost inspiration, but it came back to me with a little researching and stuff and the new chapter. YAY, that made me get all excited xD! Weird to get excited over a war o.0; Well, anyway, sorry if the beginning seemed rushed… I mostly have ideas for when the Genin return to their villages O:! Well, next update should be tomorrow unless something happens… I've started drivers' ed so it's been taking up a lot of my time. Geh. Anyway, that's it! Thanks so much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews would be very much appreciated!**


	22. Chapter 22

**WELCOME TO ANOTHER UPDATE~**

**DISLCAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters in this fan fiction, except for the ones that I claimed as my own.**

**A/N: I think I am officially sticking with third person, unless the situation calls for first o.o!**

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Chapter Twenty-Two: **Hospital Visits. A Shinobi is a Shinobi.**

"You're going to have to wait until someone comes in to tell you if you've made it to Chuunin or not. You're in no shape to go anywhere." Ruriko stated, folding her arms over her chest as she locked her lavender eyes on her son, who groaned in the hospital bed.

"No, this place sucks! It stinks like sick people too!" Mitsuru complained, puffing out one of his cheeks as he glared at the meal set before him. Ruriko sighed.

"I know it does, but you need to put up with it just until we have to go back. Even them, your father will probably have to carry you back." She pointed out, walking over and taking a seat on the side of the bed. She watched Mitsuru poke at his food, still pouting stubbornly. She smiled faintly and reached out, ruffling his long dark hair. Mitsuru looked up questioningly.

"What?" He asked. Ruriko smiled, cocking her head.

"Nothing. I'm glad you're all right is all."

"I guess… Are you sure Sayuri is okay too?" Mitsuru asked, blushing lightly as he asked, averting his eyes and twirling his chopsticks through his rice. Ruriko smirked, folding one leg over the other as she leaned back on her hands.

"She's fine. Kotori said she just needs some rest. She'll probably be sleeping on the way home too. She did pretty good out there."

"Man, it's so not fair that I missed it! I wanted to see Sayuri kick that bastard's ass…"

"Mitsuru! Language."

"Hypocrite."

"Hmph," Ruriko paused before laughing lightly, "Just don't let your dad hear that you talk like that. He wouldn't approve. I already get weird looks when I swear uncontrollably…"

"Hey, mom?" Mitsuru asked suddenly, looking up. Ruriko blinked and turned her head to face him, raising a brow.

"Hm?"

"Did… Ah, did that Aoi guy die?"

"… As far as I know, he's still breathing. He's in the intensive care unit with Arisu. They're both in critical condition." Ruriko replied calmly, looking at Mitsuru to see his reaction. He merely frowned thoughtfully, his brows furrowing. Ruriko lowered her eyes, then smiled again and reached out, poking between Mitsuru's brows, making him look at her in surprise.

"Don't do that, you'll get frown lines, silly." She joked. Mitsuru stared at her for a moment, then smiled, tilting his head a bit before looking toward the door at the sound of a gentle knock. Ruriko looked to the door and beamed as Itachi pushed open the door gently at first, Miwa pushing it the rest of the way into the wall.

"Big brother!" Miwa wailed and didn't bother listening to Itachi shush her, hopping onto the bed and throwing her arms around Mitsuru's neck. Manabu obediently scrambled after his twin, hugging onto Mitsuru's arm almost possessively. Ruriko sweat dropped before looking up at Itachi, who walked in with Haruke at his side.

"They're the reason we got here so fast." Itachi told Ruriko as she glanced at him questioningly. Haruke merely snorted in response, folding his arms over his chest.

"So," Ruriko sighed as she watched Miwa and Manabu question Mitsuru hurriedly, "They should be sending letters to those who made Chuunin soon, right? I think I'm ready to get home and crawl under the blankets…" Itachi paused to ponder it, placing a hand around Ruriko's shoulders before nodding.

"Sasuke's with Shisui right now, just down the hall. He's received a letter, although, it told him to report to the arena tomorrow afternoon after he's all healed up."

"Can he even attend?"

"Yes. He's already on his feet. Last I heard, he was looking for Ecchio."

"I thought they hated each other."

"Right." Itachi responded, almost in a question tone. Ruriko merely shook her head and sighed, leaning it against Itachi's side. She glanced at Haruke, who was staring flatly at Mitsuru, not even bothering to move forward. She frowned and went to question, but decided against it and looked back at Mitsuru calmly.

**Later…**

"I have to make sure she's not dead." Sayuri stated as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, grimacing slightly. Kotori frowned, putting a hand on her hip.

"Sayuri, you're really in no shape to be moving around. You should rest so you can stand in front of the crowd tomorrow afternoon." She pointed out, then looked at Kakashi for him, earning a nod in agreement.

"Your mother's right. Not to mention, if Arisu is recovering, she probably won't hesitate to attack you for beating her. She gives off the 'sore loser' vibe." He added on with a nod. Sayuri glared at them, clenching her fists despite the bandages encasing both her arms to her bare shoulders as she wore the loose dark purple hospital shirt. Her eyes locked on her twin, Sakumo, who looked back at her, unable to speak. They're parents had come to a final decision. Sayuri groaned and folded her arms over her chest, grimacing a bit in pain.

"I just don't wanna get a knock on my door from her brother because he's pissed."

"She's probably going to be fine," Sakumo spoke before Kotori could open her mouth, "Not to mention, her brother is obviously not a fighter. You saw him drop out of the fight with Yuriye."

"I guess…" Sayuri mumbled. Kotori sighed, reaching out and ruffling up Sayuri's hair, making her daughter blink and look up curiously.

"It's fine. Just sit back and relax. The doctor should be coming in soon with the results of the blood test. We're gonna head to the hotel and pay for tonight… Sakumo, stay here and make sure your sister stays in bed."

"I can't believe you don't trust me!" Sayuri cried, but got a finger pressed to her lips from Kotori, who smirked before leaning over and kissed her on the cheek, patting her on the head once. Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"Unless the place is burning down, stay put. We'll be back soon." He said, walking over and pulling his mask down to kiss Sayuri on the forehead. He followed Kotori out the door before closing it. As soon as it did, Sayuri was on her feet. Sakumo stared at her flatly, his arms folded over his chest.

"You're not going to wait until they're down the hallway?"

"No! I need to see what's going on. Not to mention, I heard Aoi was also in the intensive care unit. If that's true, he might be dead."

"And you're hoping he is."

"Duh. Come on, you're coming with me."

"Huh? You're not gonna make me crawl under the covers and take your spot or anything?"

"No, of course not. We're not kids anymore."

"No, I was just looking forward to resting my feet." Sakumo admitted with a shrug, earning an eye roll from Sayuri, who opened the door, waving a hand for Sakumo to follow. He found himself padding along behind Sayuri as she made her way to the intensive care unit.

The closer they got to the department of the critically ill or wounded, the sound of beeping as well as coughs followed. The distinct sound of someone cursing also alerting Sayuri to follow it toward one of the partially opened rooms. She held a finger to her lips to Sakumo, who glanced up a bit in recognition of the voice.

They stopped outside the door and peered in. Sitting inside on a hospital bed with bandages covering his neck to his toes, Aoi had just got done throwing a tray of food at a nurse, who yelped and covered her head.

"This stuff is fucking gross! I almost fucking died and you're trying to kill me again with this nasty shit? Get me something better! Try some sake, ya old hag!" He barked angrily, clenching a fist. The nurse nodded quickly, scurrying to clean up the mess before fleeing out the door. Sayuri frowned after the nurse and glared back in, ready to go marching in and clobber the rotten brat, but Sakumo held her back after closing the door gently and soundlessly.

"Don't even bother," He whispered softly as he held her back against the wall, "If you go marching in there, it's gonna cause a scene and not to mention mom and dad will find out and we'll both get in trouble…"

"But, Sakumo-"

"It's not worth it. You can kill him some other time when it's a fair fight and you're not on lock down." Sakumo advised calmly. Sayuri stared at him a while longer, still stiff with tension and anger before she relaxed and gave a nod. Sakumo nodded, taking a step back.

"Funny seeing you two here." A voice said dully. The Hatake siblings whipped around to find Kazuhiko looking at them. Instead of his normal uniform, he was wearing a loose, long sleeved deep violet shirt and matching pants, basically a hospital uniform. However, he still had the dark jar hooked to his waist. Sayuri stared at it, remembering what Arisu had said before.

"Why are you dressed like that if you're not a patient?" Sakumo asked casually. Kazuhiko averted his eyes, his thumbs hooked into the pockets of his pants.

"They told me I had to wear it if I was going to see Arisu. Kimiko's still fighting with the nurses because she doesn't want to wear purple." He explained. Sayuri snorted, putting her hands on her hips.

"That's stupid! Purple's a great color!" She retorted. Kazuhiko cocked a brow at her.

"That's because you wear purple all the time." He replied. Sayuri scowled. Sakumo cracked a half smile, then paused to glance down the hall that Kazuhiko was partially facing.

"Were you heading to visit Arisu now?" He asked. Kazuhiko nodded, looking down the hall with a blank expression, eyes lazily half lidded before he looked back at the Hatake siblings.

"Did you want to come with?" He asked.

"Don't we have to have the outfit?" Sakumo asked, gesturing. Kazuhiko shrugged.

"Sayuri already has one… Besides, the nurses are busy with Kimiko, they probably won't care about your attire." He answered. Sakumo looked at Sayuri, who nodded. Kazuhiko led the way down to the hallway. The only sound was the beeping, the swearing from behind them, and Sakumo's shoes thudding on the tiles.

Soon, the sound of an oxygen machine joined the chorus of hospital sounds as they walked into Arisu's room. Sayuri stared, almost stopping in the doorway if Sakumo hadn't of given her a little push.

Arisu was lying in the hospital bed with only part of the hospital shirt on as it was cut off just under her breasts as countless tubes were held to her stomach region, a couple going into her arms and the oxygen mask sitting on her face. Her glasses were lying on the desk beside her.

"Got some visitors other than me." Kazuhiko greeted casually as if Arisu was lying in the hospital with a heart monitor and oxygen machine. Arisu's mismatched pale pink and gold eyes shifted to look at Sakumo and Sayuri, widening for a bit before growing tired again.

Kazuhiko glanced at them as he leaned on the wall near the heart monitor.

"She can't talk. The doctor's said something about her only lasting a bit longer." He answered calmly. Sakumo looked at him a bit curiously while Sayuri's jaw dropped.

"You mean… She's…?" Her voice trailed as she felt her chest tighten. Kazuhiko just stared at her blankly. Arisu sighed into her oxygen mask, staring up at the ceiling sleepily, her eyes drifting closer to shutting. Sayuri shifted a bit uncomfortably, looking at Arisu.

She didn't know what to say now. She didn't really think it would happen. She was at a loss and her throat closed up on anything she could think to say. Sakumo frowned, reaching forward to look at the clipboard with her condition.

"It says her stomach was basically blown away. It's a wonder she's even breathing now…"

"She's being stubborn." Kazuhiko responded. There was a rasping sound and it seemed Arisu was attempting to laugh at Kazuhiko's statement before she looked at her brother, inching her finger on the bed. Hardly noticeable, only to Kazuhiko, who walked over, tilting his head at her.

He reached out and took off the oxygen mask.

"What're you doing?" Sakumo asked. Kazuhiko just shrugged and pointed at Arisu, who sucked in a shuddering breath before coughing a bit, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"M'probably… Not gonna last… Much longer…" Arisu murmured stiffly in pain. Sayuri shifted from foot to foot, clasping her hands tightly behind her back as she frowned. Sakumo looked at her, then back at Arisu, who sighed again for air.

"I ran in there… Pretty cockily… Had every right to kick my… Ass…"

"I guess." Sayuri said at last quietly. Arisu glanced at her out the corner of her tired eyes.

"You… Better keep staying… Alive… Brat… M'not gonna be shamed… By someone… Who dies so easily…"

"Hmph!" Sayuri retorted with a huff, straightening up like a soldier. Arisu smiled faintly, then sighed again, closing her eyes as she relaxed on the bed.

"Ne… Kazuhiko…"

"Don't spew sappy lines or I won't remember you." Kazuhiko stated, without the slightest hint of remorse. Sayuri and Sakumo shared looks before looking at Arisu, who forced an angry smirk.

"Shut up… Ass… I was gonna say… Quit tryin'… To fuckin'… Kill 'erself, got it?" She asked. For once, Sayuri saw Kazuhiko's eyes flash almost dangerously, sending a chill up her spine. She even stepped closer to Sakumo, who frowned in response. Arisu kept her eyes closed, the heart monitor beeping a bit faster now.

"Do what ya want… So long as it means… Stayin' alive… Ya know? An' tell Kimiko… To quit bein' cocky… An' loud… She's gotta battle… Strong or else… She's gonna get… Killed… Got it…?" Her voice was trailing now, slowly and softly. Sayuri frowned and didn't even notice she was gripping Sakumo's hand tightly, almost crushing his fingers.

Kazuhiko frowned, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Sure, whatever… G'night." He added after the line on the heart monitor slowly went flat, giving a long, mournful _beeeeeep_. Sayuri jumped as the nurses burst into the room with a doctor, too late of course. Sayuri looked at Kazuhiko, who merely looked at the heart monitor dully before walking out with them.

"You don't seem so sad." Sayuri muttered to Kazuhiko, folding her arms over her chest as they walked toward the exit of the intensive care unit. Sakumo averted his eyes while Kazuhiko kept his eyes up ahead, dull and flat. As usual.

"I'm not."

"You jerk, that was your sister!"

"Oh, yea. Sure. Some part of me is a bit sad because she was my sister. I'm not that coldhearted, but quite frankly, I really don't _feel_ anything… Well, maybe a bit jealous."

"You're still a jerk." Sayuri retorted, then looked at Sakumo, as if to say 'you'd be sad if I was gone, right'? Sakumo looked back at her, then closed his eyes in a nod before looking up ahead.

"I know." Kazuhiko said at last to Sayuri's statement before he gave them a little wave, receiving only one from Sakumo before he walked off. Sayuri glared after him.

"He's so rude." She muttered bitterly. Sakumo shrugged.

"He's a bad liar."

"What're you talking about?"

"I haven't known him more than an hour and I automatically knew this made him upset… His voice quivered just a bit, faintly, when he said 'g'night' to his sister."

"… Yea, I guess it did… Why would he lie?"

"Sometimes you have to be strong in the shinobi world, even if it means not crying for loved ones."

"… I suppose…"

"At least he's not going to kill you."

"Tch."

**In Another Part of the Hospital**

"It's a good thing they put him to sleep," Kirumaru sighed quietly as he watched Huyu sleep soundly after another silent visit from his parents, "He almost tore away all the flesh on his shoulders."

"… That boy's jutsu. It must be really strong…" Isaye said calmly, sitting in a chair across from Huyu's hospital bed, Noroi sitting in the chair next to him. Noroi adjusted his thick black glasses, averting his pale, light blue eyes before looking back.

"S-So long as they keep h-him under, he w-won't tear himself up… Maybe that L-Lei has a way to r-reverse what he did?" He asked, twiddling his fingers now. Kirumaru stood up from his seat at the end of the bed.

"I should hope so… Lei is still sleeping too. He's been asleep all day and the man that claims to be his guardian, an old geezer named Yasashisa, won't let anyone in. Something about spirits." He mumbled, scratching the back of his head in confusion at the thought.

"Ridiculous." Isaye commented, closing her eyes and folding her arms over her chest. Noroi nodded in agreement, although, it seemed more obedient as he looked in his lap.

"Let's just hope he doesn't wake up again," Kirumaru sighed, "I don't think I can take much more of his thrashing." He pulled the sleeves of his long-sleeved black jumper up to reveal bandages with lines of dried blood.

He dropped his sleeves immediately as the door opened to reveal Aoi, who easily walked in as if he hadn't been attacked at all… Save for the limp on his left side.

"There you all are," He retorted in annoyance leaning on the doorway with his arms folded over his bandaged torso, "I was fucking waiting to see if you'd get me something real to eat! Some team you are, starving me. And inviting the enemy." He added this when he saw Noroi stiff in his chair. Isaye flashed Aoi a sharp glare before looking at Noroi almost apologetically.

"Oh," Kirumaru blinked, "Sorry. We'll stop somewhere, but, uhm, Aoi, I think you should go rest. You shouldn't be hobbling around like that… And not to mention it took us an hour to get Huyu to fall asleep with some injections, so we really rather not have him wake up."

"Is that so?" Aoi questioned curiously and made his way over to the bed, only to have Isaye jump up and shove him hard in the face, making Aoi wince and hold his face.

"Step back," Isaye ordered, "Get those barbaric thoughts out of your tiny little head. Huyu needs rest, not fights." Aoi glared at her, clenching his fists and emitting crackles from his knuckles.

"Isaye's right, Aoi," Kirumaru agreed softly, "Please don't bother Huyu. He's still in pain and confused." Aoi rolled his eyes and easily smacked off Isaye's hand, walking up to the bed and peering down at Huyu with a wild grin. His bleach blonde hair was spread out across the white pillow, his vibrant yellow eyes shut. His dark skin was scarred and covered with bandages. He wore the dark purple hospital outfit; a simple loose t-shirt and loose pants.

"Doesn't look so tough when he's lyin' all fucking torn up like that. He almost reminds me of the goddamn mutt." Aoi snorted, reaching out and giving Huyu's face as push so his head lolled to the side. Isaye glared at him icily, her fists slowly clenching at her sides as Kirumaru stiffened. Noroi was on his feet, twitching nervously as he adjusted his glasses.

"Don't touch him, Aoi." Isaye stated firmly. Aoi scowled at her before smirking again.

"What're you gonna do, _woman_? Beat me up and wake up your precious Huyu?" He mocked, earning nothing, but a full on dagger glare from his teammate. Aoi sniggered before turning back to Huyu, who still hadn't woken up.

"I-If you t-touch him, I-I'll gladly beat you to a bloody p-pulp." Noroi snapped as best he could, mentally cursing himself for stuttering. Aoi blinked, then looked up and around before laughing out loud.

"You? You can't hurt me! I know that even if I am covered in this stupid shit!" He snickered, dropping some of the bandages off his left arm. Kirumaru and Noroi both grimaced at the sight of the scarred tissue on Aoi's arm. Aoi whipped around, completely not paying attention to the fact that he had just thrust his fist right into Huyu's shoulder.

Huyu's eyes flashed open immediately, wide as the pupil grew small. He immediately groaned, alerting everyone's attention to him as he arched his back up. He went to jerk up his wrists, but they met with buckles keeping them held down. He squeezed his eyes shut and gasped.

"Fire! Agh, I'm on fire!" He panted for air, sweat dotting his skin. Kirumaru rushed forward immediately while Isaye shoved Aoi back hard, immediately glaring at him.

"You ass, look what you've done." She seethed. Aoi smirked, sticking out his tongue.

"Haha."

"Jerk-"

"Isaye, there's no time for that," Kirumaru said quickly, "Go get the doctors and nurses, quickly! Those buckles won't hold him down for long and he'll start ripping himself up again!"

"Yes, sensei." Isaye nodded her head before bolting out. Huyu squirmed, jerking harder at the buckles, causing them to groan and squeak. His sore body grew tense as he made desperate attempts to claw at his torso.

_SNAP!_

Kirumaru gasped as the right buckle broke in half and Huyu's hand came flinging up, shoving him back hard. Kirumaru stumbled, catching his balance with Noroi's help as Huyu began to rip the bandages away from his shoulder hurriedly.

"Stop," Huyu barked as Kirumaru ran forward again, grabbing his hand and forcing it back, "Let me go! Aghh, it burns!" Kirumaru grimaced as Huyu tried to force his hand back up, now jerking at the other buckle on his wrist.

"I can't believe you did that." Noroi said at last without stuttering, his eyes wide as he watched Huyu thrash. Aoi grinned crookedly in amusement.

"Didn't do that shit on purpose, but so glad I did. Hahahaha! I should knock Kirumaru-sensei out, just to watch Huyu kill himself! Ahahaha! I wonder what mommy and daddy would think of that!" He began to laugh at the thought. Noroi glared at him for a split second, then looked up in time for Huyu's other hand to be let free.

"Kirumaru-sensei, look out!" Noroi cried. Kirumaru dodged back just in time to avoid Huyu's fist coming up to his gut. Huyu flung upwards, ripping his nails through the bandages, throwing them to the floor and ripping at the healing skin.

"Damn it!" Kirumaru exclaimed, then looked up in time for the doctor's to run in, hurriedly racing to hold a flailing Huyu down to inject him. Isaye came in after, watching with wide eyes before looking at Kirumaru, who grimaced.

"Isaye, Noroi… You have to find that boy, the one who did this to him… Tell him that I'll even pay him myself if he'll just release whatever jutsu this is… I don't know how much longer I can stand to see Huyu like this…." His voice trailed as he folded an arm over his chest, placing a hand over his mouth tightly and nervously. Isaye and Noroi shared looks, then nodded as they exited the room, forcing Aoi out with them.

"Jerks! Ass clowns! I wanted to fucking keep watching!" Aoi snapped.

"Shut up." Noroi blurted. Isaye stared at him, mildly surprised while Aoi scowled.

"You shut up, four-eyes! You better not think you're tough shit or I'll fucking slaughter you like I will to the mutt when I find 'im and his little girlfriend." He muttered dryly before taking off in the opposite direction. Isaye rolled her eyes, then took Noroi's hand, leading the way down the hallway.

Noroi blushed lightly, his glasses sliding down his nose before he pushed them back up nervously. He always wondered why Isaye chose him. There were plenty of guys that should have caught her attention, even if they weren't from her village. Of all the people, she chose bad luck, four-eyed, stuttering Noroi… It made him blush even more.

"What room is Lei in anyway?" Noroi asked, surprised in himself for not stuttering. Isaye glanced at him, then around the halls.

"Probably in the 200s."

"A-All right… Say, Isaye?"

"Hm."

"… Uhm… Ah, never mind." Noroi smiled meekly as Isaye looked at him curiously before they stopped in a hallway, looking up to see Lei walking toward them dress in a dark purple hospital gown, rubbing one of his closed eyes.

"Lei!" Noroi exclaimed automatically. Lei jumped, throwing up his arms before relaxing as they approached.

"Oh, haha! I thought you were Zakuro at first! I lost him in the cafeteria a couple minutes ago. I think he saw his dad looking for him…" He mused more to himself, tapping his chin. Isaye frowned, folding her arms over her chest.

"Lei is it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You fought my teammate, Huyu, the first battle of the exams… You used some kind of jutsu on him. Is that irreversible?" Isaye asked calmly, her dark eyes watching Lei smile slyly.

"Jutsu, jutsu… Oh! You mean when I opened my eyes."

"Yea."

"Of course there's a way to reverse it. It's a lot easier to reverse it than cast it in the first place." Lei answered, cocking his head. Isaye stared at him as he kept looking back at her with the same closed eye, clueless smile. Noroi sweat dropped.

"Well?" He asked. Lei perked up, pouting a little.

"What?"

"T-Tell us how to reverse it!" Noroi cried in exasperation while Isaye sighed in annoyance, shaking her head. Lei laughed a little, waving his hand as he covered his mouth with his sleeve for a moment before dropping it.

"Haha, wish I could, but I don't think that's particularly part of taking the exams." He replied. Isaye blinked and stared at him. Noroi did as well.

"W-What?" He cried in disbelief. Lei nodded, folding his arms over his chest.

"Yup. I don't want him popping up in the future to bug me or any of my friends and their kids. It'll be a hassle… Besides, he needs to learn the hard way that he can't always get what he wants." He added, still smiling all the while. Isaye was glaring now in annoyance, but couldn't say anything. This was outrageous!

"You can't do that," Noroi protested, "He was just doing what he had to do to win! It's unfair to make Huyu pay for it for the rest of his life! I thought you were supposed to be in training with a guru! If that's so, you should know the eternal damage you're causing Huyu!"

"Just because my guardian is a guru," Lei began calmly, still smiling as he cocked his head again, "Doesn't make me spiritual or anything… I think Huyu deserves it for being cocky. Maybe in the next life, he'll remember this experience and think twice before ever running in thinking he's number one."

"He'll probably learn from these past few days," Noroi insisted, "Lei, you can't be like this, it's unfair. Huyu is a shinobi. It's what we do. We have to be confident!" Lei shrugged a little bit.

"Dunno…"

"Please, Lei." Noroi stated. Lei smiled slowly.

"Take me to him."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I was going to make this longer, but I couldn't think of what else to add on :'D! Well, I hope this chapter was good! Thank you very much for reading, don't forget to check my homepage for important updates, and your reviews are the greatest things ever!**


	23. Chapter 23

**ANOTHERUPDATEWOO!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, except the ones that I claimed as my own! And shall again in Part two, after a final chapter!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty-Three: **Welcome to the Reality…! You're a Chuunin!**

"TRAITOR!" Kimiko screamed and launched another chair across the room. Kazuhiko sidestepped it, watching as it shattered against the wall behind the force of the throw. He looked back at Kimiko flatly, his hand resting on the swirling jar on his hip.

"Kimiko. Cut it out. It's not like I killed Arisu."

"So what? You let her killer in to see her and you let her die!"

"I'm not going to argue with you." Kazuhiko replied calmly, then glanced at Nori, who was silently sitting on the sofa with some lemon spice tea, her eyes an icy blue now.

"I hate you," Kimiko yelled, clenching her fists as her eyes welled up with hateful tears, "Arisu is dead and you don't care at all! You care more about those worthless murderous shinobi! Those traitors! Wait until Master Nozomu finds out! He'll kill you for treason!"

"Kimiko." Nori stated firmly, frowning as her eyes glowed orange. Kimiko wailed, immediately bursting into tears as a response. She whirled around and bolted from the living room and into her room, slamming the door shut. Kazuhiko stared after her dully, shrugging as he turned to leave the room, looking at Nori, who frowned now.

"Kazuhiko… You don't sound as remorseful as I thought."

"I'm not."

"…"

"I'm not heartless either. It's mostly sad that there's so much death that it's not beginning to seem unnatural anymore… I'm going out."

"Where?"

"My cousin."

"I see."

"Later." Kazuhiko waved and walked out the door normally as he would any day, however, his hand clenched over the top of the jar in annoyance. The darkness inside swirled up toward the cap as if to comfort the hand on top.

**Across the Village…**

Ruriko walked into the apartment, sighing as she held Mitsuru in her arms. He was still fast asleep, much better than he had been earlier in the day. Behind her, Itachi came in with Miwa and Manabu at his side, Haruke coming in last before shutting the door.

"I'll take Mitsuru to his room," Ruriko yawned sleepily, "He'll need to rest up so he can go the arena."

"Here," Itachi said, walking forward and taking Mitsuru into his arms, "You're exhausted… Go take a shower and rest." Ruriko blinked, frowning a bit, but decided not to argue. She merely nodded, placing a quick kiss on Mitsuru's forehead and Itachi's cheek.

She went to the bathroom, stripping down and stepping into the warm water. She sighed comfortably before she heard a knock on the hotel door. She frowned and stepped out, hurriedly grabbing one of Itachi's navy yukata and throwing it on. She grabbed a hair tie from the counter as the knocking sounded again.

"I'm coming! Kids, don't answer the door!" She called as a reminder. She knew it was paranoid to say that, but she couldn't risk losing her children. She tied her hair up into a loose, wet bun as she walked to the door, tying the yukata shut. She opened the door to find Sasuke standing in the doorway. She frowned.

"Can I help you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Sasuke rolled his eyes, easily stepping in past her.

"Is Itachi here? What about Mitsuru? I wanted to talk to them about something Kakashi and Kotori told me… About your cousin." He added. Ruriko blinked, flashing him a quick glare for just walking right in, then closed the door behind him, leaning on it as she watched him.

"What do you mean? Besides, Itachi's tucking Mitsuru in."

"You can't tell me you haven't talked to Sayuri yet."

"I can't say that I have. I saw her and Mitsuru talking about something… I guess Kazuhiko's sister died in the hospital this morning."

"Yes, but apparently the girl told Sayuri something during their battle."

"And just what is that?"

"Kazuhiko's carrying a bomb in that jar of his."

"A bomb? What the hell are you talking about?" Ruriko demanded, pushing off the door as she folded her arms over her chest. Sasuke frowned and went to speak, but Itachi walked into the small hallway, his expression faintly curious.

"What bomb?" He asked. Sasuke turned to look at him, his face reading all business.

"Hatake Sayuri told us, meaning several Jounin including her parents, that the girl she battled named Arisu was ranting about her brother, Kazuhiko. Said he was carrying some kind of explosive power inside the jar on his waist." Sasuke explained. Ruriko frowned, tilting her head.

_Jar? That sounds really familiar… Jar. A jar._ She thought, tapping her temple thoughtfully.

"Now that you mention it," Itachi admitted, "I saw him in town, the jar on his waist too…"

"Exactly. If what Sayuri said is true, that means Kazuhiko's obviously waiting to use it."

"On Getsugakure? Or another village? Or just a certain group of people?" Itachi questioned calmly, although, from the look on his face, he had his own ideas on the situation. Sasuke shrugged.

"The Hyuuga Clan." He offered. Ruriko frowned.

"Why the hell would you suggest that?" She demanded, putting her fists on her hips.

"Isn't it obvious," Sasuke rolled his eyes, flashing her an annoyed glare, "Kazuhiko confessed to devouring Uwasa's corpse. Who's to say that whatever he told you was a lie? Eating Uwasa's corpse to hide his secrets from Kabuto? Maybe Kazuhiko simply ate Uwasa to get rid of him completely."

"Don't say such stupid things," Ruriko snapped in annoyance, "Kazuhiko isn't like that and I'm not saying that just because we're related or the fact that he isn't capable of it. A) Kazuhiko would think of that entire thing as a hassle. B) Kazuhiko isn't very emotional and wouldn't be afraid if someone knew a secret. He's blunt."

"The fact that you are related to him doesn't help your argument." Sasuke responded almost pointedly. Ruriko tensed up, the heat of her temper basically radiating off her as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Itachi frowned, noticing before she even tensed up. She was pretty predictable.

"Ruriko, calm down…" Itachi began, but Ruriko cut him off.

"I'm not biased, you son of a bitch! You've got nerve to even suggest it! What you're saying is pointless and completely irrational! Kazuhiko has a weapon just like any other shinobi, so what's it matter? You carry a kunai, so I have to think you still work for Orochimaru?" Ruriko exploded angrily, her lavender eyes flashing. Red glowed in Sasuke's eyes to match his equal aggravation.

"Shut your mouth! That's a different situation and not to mention that Arisu apparently told Sayuri that he would destroy this entire village and the people inside it! That sounds pretty real to me!"

"Oh, please! That girl was probably mouthing stuff she didn't even understand so she could distract Sayuri during the battle! You saw her, she's a medical ninja! You spent a lot of time with Kabuto so you should know! And you married a medical ninja! Oh, that's right, she got rid of you! And I can see why!"

"That has nothing to do with this argument! Quit bringing up stupid topics!"

"I was just saying! And you know I'm right! You're just trying to get him in trouble!"

"NO! I'm doing my JOB as a shinobi to listen to everyone's worries and fears and putting a stop to them so people can actually sleep at night!"

"Pretty funny coming from a guy who was an internationally wanted criminal for joining Orochimaru!"

"Says the one who MARRIED a former criminal!"

"SHUT UP! Don't drag him into it!"

"You dragged Sakura into it!"

"I DID NOT! I was merely using an example, you asshole! You're not even listening to me! What happened to 'listening to everyone's worries and fears and putting a stop to them'?" Ruriko yelled angrily, her eyes like daggers. Itachi sighed, tempted to smack his forehead in distress. The yelling was giving him a headache and no doubt was going to wake up Mitsuru and the twins from their naps.

"Guys, stop it," Itachi cut in firmly, "This isn't getting us anywhere. We're splitting onto several different topics that don't even matter to the situation at hand. We need to focus and stay calm." Sasuke frowned, but the Sharingan in his eyes remained. Ruriko huffed, folding her arms tightly over her chest.

"Hmph." Sasuke rolled his eyes at her, turning his head the other way.

"We should talk about it alone, Itachi. She's going to keep saying the same things over and over again like a broken disk." He stated. Itachi almost flinched as he knew what was coming next.

"Ruriko-"

"EXCUSE ME? LOOK! There he goes again and people say I start it! Bullshit, you saw it! He's got such a big mouth!"

"And you have such big breasts, probably the only reason you're married."

"THAT'S IT!" Ruriko whipped around and grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt. Sasuke smirked dangerously and reached up, catching her wrist tightly. Ruriko winced, her eye twitching as electricity sparked around her hand.

"Jerk!" She spat in his face. Sasuke glared at her anyway, gripping her wrist tighter. His free hand was already on its way to make a hand sign if a hand hadn't of clamped tightly on it, almost crushing the fingers. Sasuke stiffened and snapped his head to the side to see Itachi frowning at him, gripping his hand.

"That's enough," He commanded, "Sasuke. As the leader of the Uchiha Clan, you must be patient and calm. Keep focused on the reason you showed up. I know you and Ruriko have tension, believe me, but both of you are adults now. Not children. You have yourselves, your family, and your village to worry about as well as an ally. We'll talk to Kazuhiko about what's in the jar." Sasuke stared at him, his eyes cooling down to their onyx color before he looked back at Ruriko. She had relaxed considerably, her eyes tired and her lips pursed.

They all stepped back, Sasuke and Ruriko slowly calming down. Itachi sighed, shaking his head a bit before another knock followed. Ruriko jumped and Sasuke resisted the urge to mock her, biting down on his tongue and closing his eyes with a simple 'hmph'. Itachi answered the door and blinked, mildly surprised.

"Kazuhiko." He stated at the sight of the raven-haired, beanie-wearing Genin, who looked up at him.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked dully. Itachi glanced at Ruriko, who shook her head.

"No. Come in." Itachi stepped side, letting Kazuhiko in before closing the door. Kazuhiko cocked a brow at Sasuke, who merely frowned, then looked at Ruriko, who sighed.

"Sorry, Kazuhiko… If I had known you were going to visit, I wouldn't have let him in." She said, jabbing a thumb at Sasuke, who stiffened in anger.

"Ruriko." Itachi stated. Ruriko looked up and stared at him for a moment, then looked back at Kazuhiko, who shrugged.

"It's okay… I already know what you guys were talking about anyway." He answered. Ruriko blinked, her arms dropping to her sides.

"You do?" She asked, perplexed. Kazuhiko averted his eyes.

"Anyone in this hallway could, you were both yelling at the top of your lungs."

"Oops." Ruriko and Sasuke muttered in unison. Itachi glanced at them, then looked at Kazuhiko, who seemed to simply stare off toward the large windows in the living room that looked out over the village.

"Then you know what we want to ask." He stated. Kazuhiko nodded, slowly moving toward the window to look out at the many lights, music traveling through the air and carrying into the hotel.

"Yea and everything Arisu told Sayuri is hardcore truth," He began, making Ruriko jerk her head up with wide eyes, "The jar. My employer gave it to me, telling me to open the cap on the arena during the final rounds, you know, wiping out most of the village and giving him a chance to rush in and make another conquer. Something to that extent."

"But you didn't." Sasuke muttered, folding his arms over his chest. Kazuhiko's lazy eyes traveled over the village before he turned around to face them.

"Nope."

"Because…" Ruriko's voice trailed. Kazuhiko fixed his lilac eyes on his cousin before he shrugged again, shoving his hands into the pockets of his light gray vest.

"Not my thing… Don't want to, don't feel like it… My employer's pretty stupid and wouldn't be anything without his sister being around… I think she's the only reason I stuck around for as long as I did."

"Did, past tense." Ruriko stated hopefully. Kazuhiko looked up, his eyes wider than normal before they returned to their normal lazy states.

"Yea, past tense… You were talking to me that day when you ganged up on me at my room, asking me about Uwasa… You were telling me there were still things I could do, some time left. I've never had someone tell me something like that before." He said quietly. Ruriko blinked. Sasuke and Itachi both looked at her, then back at Kazuhiko, who averted his eyes back to the village outside.

"I put my hand on the jar, back in the arena while Sayuri and Arisu were fighting. I knew what Arisu was doing, being a big mouth… I was going to open that jar and order the thing inside to kill everyone there, but then I remembered what you told me and I didn't… I've already open the jar anyway, but… The thing… No, the person inside didn't kill me." He explained calmly. Ruriko's eyes widened as it hit her.

"Thing-Person! Inside the jar! Ikiteiru Kage!" She exclaimed, snapping her fingers. Itachi cocked a brow.

"The guy who tried to kill you during Kotaro's attack?"

"The guy you antagonized, who probably wouldn't have any qualms about completely eliminating you from the planet within seconds after all the shit you caused him and his so-called master?" Sasuke listed, tapping his chin. Kazuhiko smirked. Ruriko winced, her eye twitching as she sweat dropped.

"Eh… Dismiss that," She told Kazuhiko quickly, waving her hands, "The point is… He's really inside that jar, right now? Listening to everything we're saying?" Kazuhiko nodded and touched the top.

"I can-"

"NO," Ruriko blurted and automatically grabbing both Sasuke's and Itachi's arms in hers to jerk them in front of her, "It's fine, fine! I don't need any more explanations!"

"You coward." Sasuke huffed, jerking his arm back. Itachi sweat dropped, his expression a sort of flat 'oh my goodness'. Ruriko scowled. Kazuhiko smiled faintly before shrugging.

"So anyway, yea. He's as powerful as a bomb, but he won't do anything unless I tell him… I really thought he was going to kill me… He just didn't."

"That's good, you have an ally." Sasuke commented.

"I suppose… But I didn't come here to talk about shinobi or ranks. I came here to ask if I can come with you back to Konohagakure, but not to be a shinobi, but so I can get a job like a normal person." Kazuhiko explained. Ruriko stared at him, then quickly looked at Itachi, who was still staring at Kazuhiko before noticing Ruriko's look.

"What?" He asked. Ruriko huffed.

"You call the shots." She stated. Sasuke stared, the complete surprise on his face completely obvious. Itachi blinked, then looked over at Kazuhiko, who patiently waited to be answered with a calm expression on his face. He studied the teenager for a moment, weighing the options in his head.

_He doesn't look like he'll cause trouble, yet that jar… It's still a problem. What if he gets mad at his job and opens the jar? Then again, Kage never seemed the type to attack on orders from his master, just because of something small like a wrong order at a restaurant… He's also part of Ruriko's basically crushed family. She's probably excited to find someone alive…_ He thought, glancing back at Ruriko, who was looking at Kazuhiko with an almost adoring expression. He knew that look. Ruriko was a sucker for younger boys.

"Of course," Itachi said at last, "We'll be happy to take you with us. We'll even help you find a job and if you need a place to stay, we'll allow it." Kazuhiko blinked, as if he wasn't expecting the answer. Ruriko beamed. Sasuke looked over at Itachi, then back at Kazuhiko silently for a moment before nodding.

"Itachi's right… You have a great power there and you seem pretty wise in making your decisions… We'll be happy to assist you." He agreed calmly. Ruriko looked at him, utterly shocked before beaming at him. Kazuhiko overcame the surprise and nodded.

"Thanks… Sorry to be a bother."

"Of course not." Ruriko insisted. Kazuhiko seemed to be smiling faintly before nodding and giving a little yawn. Itachi glanced at the time before nodding.

"It's getting late… If you'd like, I can pull the sofa out into a bed and set it up for you."

"Really? It's no trouble?"

"Of course not." Itachi answered and went to the sofa with Kazuhiko who watched him pull the sofa out. Ruriko turned to Sasuke, who was watching with a tired expression with his arms folded over his chest.

"Thank you." She murmured. Sasuke blinked and glanced at her out the corner of his eye before harrumphing as he closed his eyes.

"He's actually very intelligent for his age and he has a lot of control. It's too bad he doesn't want to be a shinobi because if he tried hard enough, he could make it to the Hokage's seat. It's hard to believe he's related to you." He retorted. Ruriko twitched, trying to smile, but it quivered as she clenched her fists at her side; a vein pounding in her forehead.

"Don't you have sons to look after? It's getting late."

"I'm surprised you even wanna sleep in this hotel room with Kage." Sasuke responded, cocking a brow with a flat expression. Ruriko stiffened, then elbowed him before huffing.

"Shut up."

"I'll be taking my leave now."

"Jackass."

"… Ditz." Sasuke stuck out his tongue. Ruriko's jaw dropped as Sasuke opened the door, walking out. Ruriko scrambled after him, swinging out of the hotel room, waving her fist comically.

"You piece of shit! Don't fucking come in here to call me names! I'll rip your head off and shove it up your-"

"Ruriko, it's midnight, cool down." Itachi said quietly. Ruriko blinked and looked at him, then sighed as she closed the door walking in.

"Your brother is such a pain in the ass," She muttered, pushing off the door, "I swear, he purposely picks on me." Itachi smiled faintly as he put an arm around her shoulders, holding her close as she leaned on him, both walking into the living room.

"He'll grow up… You too, Ruriko. You shouldn't egg him on."

"It's hard not to… I bet he wasn't mean when he was a kid."

"No, he was rather shy and quiet."

"What a shocker."

"Compared to now, yes…" Itachi's voice trailed as his onyx eyes landed on the teenager flopped on the sofa bed. Ruriko followed his eyes before smiling comfortably. Kazuhiko was lying on his stomach, his head resting on the pillow. His beanie was resting on the table with his vest. His normally brushed down, flat raven hair was now loose and silky, splaying in short choppy strands across the pillow as he held the jar with Kage inside under his arm.

"He looks relaxed." Itachi said quietly. Ruriko nodded.

"That's good… He's had a rough time."

"Very… Come on, let's go to bed ourselves."

"Sounds like a plan."

**In a Separate Hotel…**

Sasuke yawned as he stuck the key in the lock, pushing his hotel room door open before closing it behind him. He heard the sound of hissing and yelping from the kitchen. He blinked and looked up, cocking a brow.

"Nakusu, set up the table!"

"What do you think I am doing?"

"Trying to count the amount of ingredients in the soup."

"… Shut up."

"What are you two doing?" Sasuke asked as he walked into the kitchen. He blinked, seeing Shisui holding a heavy pot of soup while Nakusu had just gathered items for the table.

"Dad! Oh, uhm… Damn. You coulda knocked first. We were going to surprise you!" Shisui stated, huffing a little as he blew a loose piece of blue hair from his face as it was held up in a loose bun. Nakusu shrugged a little as he glanced off to the side.

"It is still a shock anyway… Shisui did not burn anything." He added. Shisui blushed, scowling at his younger brother. Sasuke raised an eyebrow slowly before relaxing from his tensed state. It was better to hear his kids talking than people shouting in his ears. He sighed.

"It's fine… Here, Nakusu, I'll help you set the table." He said, walking over and taking some of the contents. Nakusu merely nodded, although, he took an uneasy step away as the proximity included him being closer than a foot.

They went to the table and set the bowls and plates out silently at first before Sasuke glanced up at Nakusu, who was on his knees, setting the glasses out.

"So, why did you guys suddenly think of this?" Sasuke asked as he stood up. Nakusu looked up, the headband over his right eye reflecting the light.

"Shisui did… He said he wanted to thank you for being a good father."

"Shisui?" Sasuke asked, perplexed. He'd always had tension with Shisui over a countless amount of things; Sakura leaving, Shisui's open-mindedness, Nakusu, dinner, etc. The list went on forever. Nakusu merely nodded as he rose to his feet, rubbing at his eye with a little yawn.

"Yes… He is right…" He murmured. Sasuke smiled faintly.

"I see…" He responded comfortably. Nakusu paused, shifting a bit uncomfortably, looking in the other direction.

"What mother said… About taking us away. She would not do that, right?" He asked, looking back. Sasuke blinked, then frowned, folding his arms over his chest.

"She won't… You don't need to worry about her at all." He answered. Nakusu just gave a nod before Shisui came in, beaming.

"I have food! You guys can sit down, I got it!"

"Are you sure? Spill that and you'll burn yourself."

"I'm fine! Yeesh, I'm not that much of a klutz." Shisui huffed, but was smirking anyway. Sasuke smiled back and he and Nakusu took a seat as Shisui dished out the food. They sat around the table comfortably, eating quietly for a while before Sasuke looked up.

"Shisui, you have to be at the arena tomorrow afternoon to receive news about your battle, right?" He asked. Shisui nodded, slurping up some noodles before sighing.

"Yea~ I'm seriously hoping Mitsuru's all right… He got his cute little butt kicked."

"We are eating." Nakusu drawled. Shisui stuck his tongue out.

"If you started talking about Yuriye, I wouldn't say something so mean!" He retorted, making Nakusu's face tint bright pink. Sasuke tilted his head toward Nakusu.

"Yuriye?"

"Uh…"

"She's this totally cute girl on Nakusu's team. You know her, she comes over sometimes with Yuuma."

"Oh, I remember… Nakusu has a thing for her?"

"Oh yea."

"I do not!" Nakusu cried in embarrassment, clenching his grip on his chopsticks. Shisui grinned in amusement before flipping a hand through his hair, shrugging a bit.

"She's adorable and Nakusu knows it. He went out with her on a couple dates before the final rounds. You should've seen them, dad! It was so adorable! Nakusu blushed, like, sooo much." He continued on, making Nakusu twitch. Sasuke blinked, then smirked some himself.

"Really? I hope you remembered to pay for the meals… You be good to her, Nakusu."

"Father!" Nakusu exclaimed in exasperation, then buried his face in his hands, the heat practically radiating off him in comical waves. Shisui laughed out loud.

"You're so easy to tease, Nakusu!"

"I rather you not!"

"But look at you! You're blushing so red!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"Guys," Sasuke interrupted, making them look at him, "Calm down. It's too late to be shouting…" He glanced at the clock, which read about one in the morning. Shisui puckered his lips before snapping his fingers, beaming.

"We should have a guys night."

"Guys night?" Nakusu asked, confused. Sasuke took a sip of his tea, averting his eyes.

"I haven't had one of those since before Nakusu was born and that was with Naruto and Itachi…" He paused as if suddenly remembering a very, very bad memory and shuddered, shaking his head to make it go away. Nakusu sweat dropped.

"I have an idea! We have a bottle of sake in the fridge-"

"You're way too young to be drinking alcohol."

"So what? Not enough to get drunk, just a couple sips! Come on, dad. You have to let loose sometimes and it's not like it's illegal if you're part of the police force. You make the rules."

"Naruto does, I just enforce them."

"What's the difference? Come on, dad… Just a couple little shots is all, I promise."

"… A couple shots, but no more. If you start acting like a fool, I'll ground you."

"Excellent."

"This sounds unsafe." Nakusu muttered under his breath as he finished his tea, setting it down. Shisui was already on his feet, bounding to the kitchen and throwing open the door. He snatched the sake out, grabbing a couple of little glasses and coming back out. He slammed a glass in front of each of them, pouring a bit out.

"You act like you've done this before." Sasuke noted suspiciously, raising an eyebrow and pursing his lips. Shisui grinned cheekily.

"No way." He replied quickly, pouring some for Nakusu, who crinkled up his nose, picking up the glass and peering inside it.

"Alcohol causes liver damage…"

"And fun." Shisui added on as he finished pouring some for Sasuke, who rolled his eyes a bit, shaking his head.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this… I must be insane. No wonder your mother doesn't trust me." He muttered, bringing the glass to his lips and taking a drink. Shisui smirked, then quickly drank his own, making a little face. Nakusu sighed, averting his eyes for a moment before bringing the glass up.

"Ugh, it stinks."

"Does not! Come on, Nakusu, just a sip… You're too young anyway, you can only have one drink."

"That is unfair… But I am not complaining." Nakusu added before squeezing his eyes shut and risking a drink of the glass. He coughed afterwards, spitting and sticking out his tongue. Shisui laughed. Sasuke chuckled as he poured another drink.

"It's all right, Nakusu. You don't have to like it."

"Thank you." Nakusu mumbled, wiping his mouth off and standing up. Shisui caught his sleeve, pouting.

"Not yet! We're gonna watch a couple movies after this."

"Movies? Shisui-"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Sasuke admitted as he drank a third glass, "It's better to just sit down anyway after having a couple drinks…"

"Yay~" Shisui sang. Nakusu sighed, but didn't argue. He waited as Shisui and Sasuke drank a couple more drinks before they found themselves all sitting on the sofa. Shisui yawned a bit, resting his head on the arm of the chair as the second movie came on.

"Tired?" Sasuke asked as he glanced at Shisui, who huffed.

"Not as much as Nakusu. He's already asleep." He added, gesturing a finger toward Nakusu, who was fast asleep on Sasuke's right. Sasuke looked at Nakusu for a while, watching him sleep against his shoulder. He smiled faintly, then looked over at Shisui, who had finally drifted off to sleep.

He looked back at the TV, his eyes drifting shut anyway. His head tilted off to the side as he fell asleep, the movie still playing.

That's how their night ended. All three sitting on the sofa in a deep sleep; Nakusu resting against Sasuke, who was sitting straight up for the most apart except for his head tilted, and Shisui resting on the arm of the sofa.

**Next Day, Afternoon**

"Welcome to the naming of the Chuunin who worked hard during the exams!" Tsuko announced as she stood beside Tonbo, who merely looked down with his arms folded over his chest.

"We've called all the finalists to the arena today as well as their families! We'd like to honor the two Genin who died in the battles of becoming Chuunin: Hyuuga Uwasa and Tsukuyomi Arisu." Tsuko continued on with her speech. Only the Chuunin, their families, and the high ranked shinobi who voted and worked were present in the arena.

"I'm crossing my fingers." Ruriko mumbled, as she leaned on the railing to get a better view of the arena. Itachi merely nodded quietly, glancing at an arguing Miwa and Haruke to shush them.

"Ugh." Nakusu muttered, holding his stomach as he sat beside Sasuke, who yawned a bit rubbing his eye.

"Sorry, Nakusu," Sasuke apologized, "It was only one drink, I didn't really think it'd give you a stomachache."

"It is fine… I am just exhausted."

"I second that." Sasuke mumbled, blinking harshly before looking out into the arena.

"Sounds to me that someone got a little drunk." Kotori snickered from behind Sasuke, who twitched and glared at her. Kakashi frowned behind his mask, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't think you drank… Not since that night out you had."

"Don't remind me."

"What night out?" Kotori asked curiously, cocking her head at her husband. Kakashi looked off in the other direction.

"They have so many birds' nests here." He mused, then looked at Sakumo, who seemed to be jolted from attention, looking at him.

"There's no birds." He deadpanned. Kotori rolled her eyes and rested her chin in her palm as Kakashi patted her shoulder rather innocently.

"Greetings to all you guys!" A voice exclaimed. Everyone in the Konoha portion of the stands jerked their heads up in shock, whipping around to see none other than the Sixth Hokage marching down the stairs with a couple of Hyuuga members behind him.

Naruto had surely grown from his time as a teenager. His yellow hair was almost exactly styled as his father's once was, only his bangs were loose over his forehead and two lock locks hung in front of his ears almost to his shoulders. He wore a fishnet shirt with a black circle in the center, an orange swirl over top and a pair of black pants that were stuffed into black boots with orange swirls on the sides and metal armor tied to the front of them. He wore the First Hokage's necklace around his neck, the jewels sparkling brightly. His Hokage cloak topped off his outfit, the hat being carried by on of the Hyuuga members following close behind him.

"Naruto!" Ruriko exclaimed, standing up straight.

"I thought you were still in Konoha." Sasuke commented, getting up slowly to turn as Naruto came walking down the aisle, leaning on the railing now."Hell no," Naruto announced, his voice powerfully loud, "I'd never miss a Chuunin Exam! I've been here this entire time!" Ruriko blinked.

"But… We never saw you!" She cried.

"Yea, you're pretty hard to miss." Kotori pointed out with a sweat drop. Naruto huffed, folding his arms over his chest, smirking and showing off his thick canines.

"Thanks! However, I kept a pretty low profile by disguising myself until now… I have to see who our next Chuunin are. Pretty cool that your kids made it this far! Kind of makes me jealous…" His voice trailed as he cocked his head.

"There's a lot of girls, Naruto." Kakashi stated with a nod. Naruto sighed.

"I know… But it's so hard to chose just one! I mean they all have great personalities… And boobs. And they look great in bikinis." He added thoughtfully. Ruriko and Kotori glared. Naruto tapped his chin.

"Oh, and the sex is-"

"NARUTO." Ruriko and Kotori stated in unison. Naruto grinned.

"Sorry about that, offensive? Or maybe it's jealousy-" He didn't finish his sentence as he received a punch from both kunoichi in the shoulders, making him yelp and flail a little.

"Sex?" Miwa asked, confused. Ruriko glared at Naruto, clenching a fist in his face.

"You little brat! She's only nine!"

"She's gonna learn sooner or later!"

"SOME HOKAGE! YOU'RE MORE OF A PERVY HOKAGE IF YOU ASK ME!"

"HEY! You can't-"

"TRY ME, UZUMAKI!"

"Guys, they're announcing the ranks!" Kakashi interrupted, waving a hand in front of their faces, pointing to the arena. Everyone went silent and turned to the arena. Tsuko turned to the Genin who were lined up, most of them still in bandages or casts. Tsuko held a small pile of files containing the rank changes, a clipboard in the other.

"Hitsuki Emiko, please come forward." Tsuko announced, handing her a file. Emiko walked forward, taking the file and giving it a quick scan before nodding and walking through the exit.

"Hitsuki Kiku… Kuromura Yuuma… Tsukuyomi Setsuna… Lei… Yagani Yuko… Nakuza Isaye…. Uchiha Shisui… Hatake Sayuri… Uchiha Mitsuru… Sasaki Yuriye…" Tsuko continued on before nodding and thrusting out a hand.

"Those listed have achieved the Chuunin Rank according to the votes taken!"

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**A/N: The Chuunin Exams are now over :D! Wow, that was a lot of work o-o; There is a part two to this series, a four year time skip. By the way, part two will revolve around some of the younger kids of the series, including Miwa and Manabu, BUT, there will not be a Chuunin Exam portion to it as it requires wayyyy too much planning and works my brain into oblivion o.o! If you have no seen your OC yet, you for sure will see them in part two! Don't worry xD! I have some missions planned out for then. ALSO, if you have younger characters from this that will be about 12 or 13 in part two, please send me their bios and the team they are on. The teams from this are still the same, but I am adding some teams of Genin as well by sensei who were not introduced:**

**Kurenai:**

**Neji:**

**Anko: **

**Well, I think that's it for a long update! Thanks so much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are the greatest things ever!**


	24. Chapter 24

**LAST UPDATE FOR PART I! O:!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I already claimed as my own and will list again in the first chapter of part II!**

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Chapter Twenty-Four: **You're All Stupid! Discoveries… **

"It's good to be home." Ruriko sighed as she flopped back on the bed, her hair coming undone and sprawled out like a giant ink splatter on the bed. Itachi followed her in, dropping a suitcase by the dresser.

"A long way back home… I'm going to sleep after I make the kids some dinner."

"All right, I'll be waiting." Ruriko yawned, rolling over on her side sleepily and closing her eyes. Itachi smiled faintly and nodded, departing the room to head downstairs where the kids were already sitting at the table.

"That's awesome! You made it to Chuunin, Mitsuru!" Miwa sang happily as she sat in Mitsuru's lap, snuggling up to him as she fiddled with his headband. Mitsuru just beamed. Manabu was watching them quietly, twiddling his fingers as Haruke huffed a bit, folding his arms over his chest.

"What would you guys like for dinner? Your mother and I are going to bed." Itachi added as he walked in toward the kitchen.

"Ramen!" Miwa yelled.

"Sandwiches!" Manabu cried.

"Fish." Mitsuru deadpanned. Itachi sweat dropped, then smiled.

"I'll make fish sandwiches and ramen. Does that work?" He asked. They all nodded in response. Itachi went into the kitchen and began to cook the ramen, making the sandwiches. Mitsuru yawned a little.

"Ah, I think I'm going to bed after I'm done with dinner… You guys should to. It's kind of late." He pointed out. Miwa pouted.

"No way! I'm all grown up, so I get to stay up!" She insisted.

"Yea, right." Haruke muttered. Miwa glared at him, sticking out her tongue in annoyance while Haruke rolled his eyes. Manabu shifted a bit uncomfortably as Mitsuru scowled.

"Miwa, don't do that… Haruke, don't annoy her like that."

"Make me." They both replied in unison with equal huffs. Manabu sweat dropped. Mitsuru rolled his eyes and stood up, holding Miwa's hand.

"Come on, Miwa. Let's help dad." He said with a smile. Miwa beamed and agreed, following him into the kitchen. Haruke watched them go, frowning as he lowered his hands onto the table, clenching them into fists. Manabu looked at him a bit nervously, bringing his sleeve up to cover his mouth.

"Are you mad?" He asked. Haruke rolled his eyes, glancing at him.

"Of course, dummy. Miwa's always getting backed up… I hate having a sister."

"Haruke! You don't have to be so mean to her…" Manabu started, but Haruke scowled and reached out, taking Manabu's jaw in his hand. Manabu gulped a little as Haruke glared at him.

"Who cares? Girls are stupid. They think they're so tough now, but they're not."

"That sounds mean," Manabu managed past Haruke's tight grip, "Girls are strong too, just like guys."

"Stupid guys," Haruke retorted, shoving Manabu a bit and making him wince, "Mitsuru's stupid. So is everyone else who thinks they're hot shots just because they wear a stupid little piece of metal that has our village symbol on it."

"Ninja are strong! They protect our village!" Manabu protested, but Haruke waved a hand in his face before jamming his finger at Manabu's forehead.

"Shut up, kid. You don't know anything about it. Ninja aren't strong at all. They're just a bunch of stupid freaks who run around with stupid headbands trying to show off because they can't do anything else with their lives. Ninja are stupid and don't deserve any kind of recognition at all." Haruke snapped in annoyance, folding his arms tightly over his chest now. Manabu stared at him, little tears in the corners of his eyes before he shook his head quickly.

"You're just saying that because you're not allowed to be a ninja!" He cried. Haruke twitched and got to his feet, glaring at him.

"Even if I could be a ninja, I never would! I don't follow under some perverted stupid ass like the Hokage! I don't like listening to stupid people, especially stupid little kids like you!"

"You're a jerk!" Manabu blurted, then clasped his hands over his mouth. Haruke just glared at him. Manabu blushed in shame, twiddling his fingers.

"I-I'm sorry… Haruke… I didn't mean… You're not…"

"Don't apologize, stupid," Haruke spat, "If you're mad, you're mad! Gods, you're so stupid sometimes! Don't grow up like all those other stupid ninja! Or you'll die just like Uwasa did! Because someone smarter killed you!" He whipped around and stormed out of the dining room, leaving Manabu to stare after him with teary violet eyes.

_Ninja aren't stupid… Not all ninja… Mommy's not stupid. Daddy's not stupid… Mitsuru and Miwa aren't stupid either… I won't be stupid… Haruke's not stupid either._

**Meanwhile…**

"You really think this is gonna work?" A man's voice muttered behind a clown Anbu mask as he walked down the hall of the prison. Beside him, a woman with cool blue eyes and long lilac hair that was brushed over her face, a cat Anbu mask hanging around her neck.

"Yes. _He_ told us he needs a larger army to attack this stupid village… Don't tell me you're afraid to encounter those two, are you, Inuke? You were talking so big on our way here." She murmured as they walked down the spiral staircase to the lower levels. Inuke flinched, then huffed, folding his arms over his chest.

"Of course not! I'm not scared of some Uzumaki girl and… That really creepy bug guy…" He mumbled, scratching the side of his head. The woman's eyes glowed pink now and a very faint smile seemed to come across her face before vanishing quickly.

"What happened to Kazuhiko, by the way, Nori?" Inuke asked curiously, cocking his head. Nori's eyes glowed icy blue now as she frowned.

"He's doing what he wants to do… He's no longer a victim." She answered calmly.

"What'd you mean-"

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" A voice mused. Nori and Inuke stopped, Inuke yelping and grabbing onto Nori's shoulders as he got behind her. Stepping out of the shadows of his cell, an inmate with snow white hair tipped with teal that touched to the back of his knees in a loose, wispy style revealed himself. His pale green eyes were dull now, as if unused to the light while visible dark circles hung around the bottom of said eyes. He wore a loose fitting navy shirt to match his pants, a seal stuck to the back of his shirt.

"Mushishokan Gatsuki." Nori stated. Gatsuki smiled, closing his eyes ever so slyly.

"Hey, beautiful. I haven't seen you in a very long time." He greeted, his voice slightly raspy from lack of use. Nori ignored the compliment, her yellow eyes searching the cells.

"And…?" Her voice trailed. Gatsuki sighed, then turned to the cell to the left.

"Kaede." He stated. There was a groan from the darkness, then a little laughter and dragging footsteps before Kaede stepped into view. Her neon orange hair was choppy, super long in some places, super short in others while her bangs were brushed toward the center of her face between her deep purple eyes that seemed to shine in the darkness. She wore the same outfit as Gatsuki, however, there was something about her that looked… As if she were sick.

"You look terrible!" Inuke blurted, then clasped his hands over his mouth. Kaede stuck out her tongue.

"Shut up, dog! I feel terrible, kyaa! I've been terrible ever since they took Satu away from me." She muttered bitterly. Inuke blinked, tilting his head.

"Who?" He asked, confused. Gatsuki shrugged, leaning on the bars.

"Kaede got knocked up, had a kid." He answered. Inuke's jaw dropped. Nori frowned, her eyes fading to a navy blue color. Kaede scowled.

"Don't put it like that, kya… It was actually an accident, I don't even remember who his father was, kya… But they found out and locked me up somewhere else until he was born and they took him away from me… Those stupid bastards, kya."

"You have a chance to get back at them and get your son back then," Inuke offered quickly, "We've come to take you to Master Nozomu's army. He's plotting to attack Konohagakure soon, but his army needs to grow in order for that to happy." Nori merely nodded in agreement. Gatsuki raised an eyebrow.

"How cute… Like father like son." He mused, tapping his chin. Kaede's eyes widened and she immediately jumped at the bars.

"I'll do it, kya! Anything for Kotaro's kid! And for mine, kyaa!" She cried excitedly, gripping the bars tightly in her fists. Inuke smirked, putting a hand on his hip.

"Perfect. Might as well get to work then."

"Indeed." Nori murmured and swung her hand out toward the bars, her eyes turning red and narrowing sharply.

**Next Day**

"What?" Ruriko demanded, folding her arms over her chest tightly as she stood in the main lobby of the Police Headquarters. Itachi frowned as he glanced at Sasuke, who was tense with anger at the news.

The brunette secretary with violet eyes nodded, sighing as she adjusted her dark purple glasses.

"It's true. Uzumaki Kaede and Mushishokan Gatsuki escaped from prison last night around one in the morning. The bodies of several Anbu were found decapitated as well as ripped up and there were tons of bugs." She muttered with a huff, glancing up past her glasses to see Ruriko shudder.

"Gross, gross, gross." Ruriko groaned, shaking her head. Sasuke scowled, snatching the paper from the secretary's hands.

"This is ridiculous! How could this of happened? Great, more drama." He grumbled.

"I'm surprised Kaede would run away from the village without her child." Itachi admitted with a shrug. The secretary nodded. Ruriko blinked and looked up.

"Child?" She asked, surprised. Itachi nodded, glancing at her.

"You don't know…? Kaede had a child, he's probably Manabu and Miwa's age by now. His name is Satu. They took him away as soon as he was old enough to be away from his mother and they sent him to a foster home, but I don't know anything else about him." He replied. Sasuke frowned, scanning the files once more before turning his head the other way.

"Great." He deadpanned.

"So what do we do?" Ruriko asked, confused, tapping her foot. Sasuke and Itachi looked at the secretary, who shrugged.

"They're probably long gone now… Probably already to their destination, wherever that is." She muttered. Sasuke sighed, then looked at the files again.

"Well… Thanks for the report anyway, Beru," He murmured, then looked at Itachi and Ruriko, "I guess all we can do now is wait."

"Sounds like fun."

"We'll see." Sasuke muttered as he turned to talk more with Beru, who just snorted in response. Ruriko looked at Itachi, frowning.

"I have a bad feeling about this." She murmured, pulling on the sleeves of her jacket

"Me too…" Itachi sighed, taking Ruriko's hands to make her stop fiddling. Ruriko frowned a bit more.

"I heard Haruke and Manabu were arguing."

"Yea… Manabu's been acting weird ever since."

"I hope he's okay."

"Agreed… Let's go home and just have some lunch, talk things over."

"Sounds like a plan."

**END OF PART ONE OF Shadows of the Next Generation!**

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**A/N: I couldn't think of anything else to add and I was too excited to start Part II. -head/desk- Oh well. xD I have tons of ideas for Part II and please remember, there is no Chuunin Exams in this part. It's a four year time skip, so updated bios are asked for if needed, if not, just say so in a review. :) Well, I believe that's it! Thanks so much for reading, hope the characters are in character (sorry if it was rushed), and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	25. Chapter 25

**WOODRAMAFILLEDUPDATECHAPTER FOR PART II! :'D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs within this fan fiction, save for the following:**

**Entire Tsukuyomi Clan (Save for Setsuna)**

**Uchiha Mitsuru, Haruke, Miwa, Manabu**

**Uchiha Shisui and Nakusu**

**Zakuro and his siblings**

**Uwasa and his siblings**

**Roku**

**Anyone that you probably know I own and that I forgot I did…**

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Part II, Chapter Twenty-Five: **All Grown Up, Right? I Have No Rank.**

Long, waist-length deep bluish gray hair was tied to the side in a ponytail with a headband covering a forehead as deep purple eyes glowed happily, a small blue moon tattooed under the right eye. The female teen wore a dark purple shrug jacket with a long sleeved pale blue skintight to the wrist shirt underneath. A pair of bellbottom pants matched her jacket with a pair of light blue boots with thick heels. A black strap went over the left shoulder, holding a long staff with a spiked ball at the end.

"Ta-da!" Uchiha Miwa announced to her reflection, winking as she stuck out her tongue, then fled into the hallway almost daintily before swinging around the banister of the stairs, hopping onto the edge and sliding down before hopping off.

"Daddy! Ya here?" She called, a hand by her mouth to echo her voice. She pouted a little, walking into the dining room and stopping herself to see her older brother, Haruke, sitting there instead. A pair of navy eyes flicked up behind dark gray hair that was a bit disheveled as usual. He wore a very loose fitting black yukata that hung open to reveal a dark gray shirt with a low cut collar and elbow length sleeves to match a pair of billowy pants and black ninja boots with shin guards to match a pair of fingerless gloves on his hands and forearms with the same metal armor.

"He's not here," Haruke replied in a matured voice, closing his eyes as he looked back at his sewing work on another doll at the table, "He left with mom to go meet Mitsuru at the north gates… And don't come down here yelling. You're not a kid anymore." Miwa scowled at him, putting a hand on her hip as she stuck her nose in the air.

"Whatever, jerk. It was just a question. And where's Manabu? He wasn't in bed this morning." She added, blinking suddenly and letting her arms fall to her sides. Haruke smirked, unnoticing to the fact that he had jammed his fingers several times with the needle as he sewed the doll's button eyes on.

"Manabu left early this morning. He wanted to do some target practice or something." He answered. Miwa frowned, watching Haruke before huffing as she folded her arms over her chest.

"What the hell is wrong with him? He didn't even bother to wake me up! I'm blaming you for this!"

"What did I do?" Haruke asked, giving her a comically deadpan stare, his lips puckered to the side. Miwa rolled her eyes and thrust a finger at him.

"Don't act like you don't know! You said something to him, didn't you? Something that made him change from a cute little boy to an uncle Sasuke!"

"I wonder what dad would think of you using his brother as an insult."

"Shut your trap, damn it! Or I'll punch your teeth out."

"You tried that a long time ago and it didn't do anything, except get you in trouble. You're as stupid as Mitsuru."

"Ugh! I'm going to find Manabu, stay locked away forever, you asshead!" Miwa yelled and stormed out of the dining room. Haruke stared after her flatly, the needle inserting his skin.

"Asshead?" He questioned in wonder, then looked down and sighed, pulling it from his finger.

Meanwhile, Miwa bolted out onto the street and pushed up off the ground with a huff, landing on a nearby rooftop and hopping toward the training grounds. She back flipped off another rooftop before landing in the street and running to the training grounds. As soon as she stepped into the grassy field from behind a tree, a shuriken hit the ground, just an inch from her foot. She yelped and leapt back, jerking her head up to glare.

"MANABU!" She barked angrily. There was a sigh as Miwa's twin landed on a tree branch not far in front of her. Manabu was on his hunches, watching her with lazy deep purple eyes. He wore a long-sleeved dark purple hoodie with the hood pulled up over his head, his bluish gray hair brushed over his forehead, long strands hanging in front of his ears. The hoodie was open to reveal a black t-shirt with a blue teardrop on the front. His black shorts hung to his knees and were loose fitting, blue ninja sandals going from his knees down while his headband was tied to his right sleeve. He was holding an open scroll in his right gloved hand, some blood smeared across the page.

"Sorry, Miwa," He murmured in a voice that would strike most girls as utterly adorable and attractive… But not to Miwa, who merely glared at him putting her fists on her hips before she jabbed her thumb behind her.

"You should've known I'd find you sooner or later! Come on, we're gonna go get some breakfast! Knowing you, you skipped it, didn't you?" She demanded. Manabu averted his eyes, standing up as he nibbled on the end of his thumb. He flung the scroll up, snapping it shut and shoving it into the belt on his waist along with a number of other scrolls. He hopped off the branch, yawning a little as he followed Miwa into town once again.

"Look at you," Miwa muttered, poking his shoulder and making him flinch a little, "Staying up almost all night then waking up early… You're already good enough with your weaponry. I'm surprised you're not a Chuunin yet."

"Mom won't let us take the Chuunin Exams until we're a bit older." Manabu pointed out quietly, still nibbling on the end of his thumb as they walked. Miwa rolled her eyes.

"That's because she's a paranoid old woman."

"Don't let her hear you or you'll be in trouble."

"Well, she is."

"She's not that old."

"She acts like it! Quit standing up for her! You stand up for all the jerks! Even Haruke!"

"Haruke's not a jerk." Manabu responded automatically, frowning. Miwa groaned, throwing her hands up.

"Why do I even try? You're such a little pet, Manabu! You better be careful or people will use that against you!"

"Whatever." Manabu sighed. Miwa rolled her eyes as they approached Ichiraku that now sat on the small corner of a nearby block. They sat down beside each other at the end as the new owner, Teuchi's daughter, Ayame, approached with a smile on her face.

"Hey, kiddos! Haven't seen ya all week! It's glad to have my number one customers back. It's kinda lonely around here without constant visitors. Poor Naruto can't even get a break enough to come around anymore." She sighed, shaking her head as she took out a notepad. Miwa pouted.

"That sucks! I haven't seen the Hokage in a while…" Her voice trailed as she grinned, blushing before giggling more to herself. Manabu stared at her, then harrumphed quietly, folding his arms over his chest. He'd never understand the disgusting attraction his sister had to the Sixth Hokage. He was just a horny blondie with a big mouth and a terrible sense of humor.

"All right! Here's the usual!" Ayame laughed sweetly, tilting her head as she handed them bowl of steamy hot ramen. Miwa beamed as she cracked the chopsticks apart.

"Yea! More food!" She announced and began to slurp up the noodles. Manabu cocked a brow at her, then looked into his bowl sleepily, breaking his chopsticks apart and dipping them into the hot broth.

"Is something wrong, Manabu?" Ayame asked worriedly, tilting her head. Manabu looked up, then shook his head before averting his eyes.

"Just a little tired…"

"He stayed up reading some stupid book he borrowed from Haruke," Miwa muttered, "It's bullshit if you ask me. Haruke's like ultimate bad, like that one guy… Kotaro." Ayame's eyes widened as a hand flew over her mouth.

"Miwa, you shouldn't say that. He's your brother… And Kotaro… Was just confused…" Her voice trailed as if she was having difficulty explaining her opinion. Miwa snorted in disagreement as she finished her ramen quickly.

"Evil, not confused. Anyone who attacks their comrades and village are traitors and murderous bastards. They deserve to be tortured, not killed." She muttered. Ayame shifted uncomfortably and Manabu rolled his eyes.

"You're just saying that because you're remembering the guy who killed Uwasa." He pointed out. Miwa scowled at him.

"That guy was a jerk too! I hope Mitsuru and Sayuri kill him!"

"I'm not hungry." Manabu stated as he took out some money, placing it on the counter and hopping off the stool. Ayame blinked and opened her mouth, but Manabu had taken off, shooting off. Miwa glared after him, then snatched his bowl and stuffed her mouth with the noodles, veggies, and meat.

Manabu landed on the balcony outside his room before walking into the house and down the stairs. He peered into the dining room to see Haruke standing up. He stopped, staring as he noticed the brand new voodoo doll in his brother's hand.

The doll was about six inches with bright yellow hair, kind of short and spiky, but long in front. The button eyes were bright blue and he wore a Hokage's uniform. Manabu's eyes flickered as he bumped the sliding door. Haruke snapped his head to the side and Manabu jumped away from the crack in the door, covering his mouth.

He was scared of Haruke, no doubt. He wouldn't lie to himself or anyone else. He was terrified of his own brother and had very good reasons too. It was almost impossible to touch Haruke and if you did, there was no satisfaction in making him feel pain because he simply couldn't feel it. His condition prohibited it and Haruke took full advantage of the condition, daring people to try and hurt him. Haruke also had a very good vocabulary and way with words to use them like he used daggers.

Manabu stayed silent for a moment before he heard nothing else. He quickly turned to run out the back door, but smacked right into Haruke, who cocked a brow at him. Manabu gulped, jumping back and twiddling his fingers thoughtlessly.

"H-Haruke. Sorry. I didn't…" His voice drifted as Haruke shrugged.

"Whatever, I already know you're a clumsy fool, so don't bother wasting your breath. The hell are you doing home anyway, I thought I got rid of everyone in the house so I can do my work alone." He muttered. Manabu shifted uncomfortably.

"Miwa… Uhm, you were making a doll in there?" He asked, peeking around curiously to see the doll being held behind Haruke's back. Haruke's eyes narrowed to almost dangerous slits as he gave Manabu's hood a little tug to keep their eyes locked.

"It's none of your business, Manabu. No ninjas allowed."

"… But that's not fair." Manabu protested. Haruke smirked.

"A lot of shit isn't fair, brat, so get used to it. Especially if you're a worthless cockroach known as shinobi." He replied calmly. Manabu frowned. Haruke easily pushed past him as he headed to his room. Manabu watched him go, waiting for a moment as he averted his eyes. He frowned, then jumped as the front door opened, making him turn around.

"I'm home!" Mitsuru called, walking in. Manabu sighed with relief, thankful that it wasn't Miwa running in to scream at him for ditching her in town.

Mitsuru closed the door behind him. He wore a black Chuunin vest with sleeves that went to his wrists and a thinner neck guard, slits cut into the shoulders to reveal a fishnet undershirt. He wore a pair of light gray pants with fishnet patches over the knees and black trims that matched his ninja shoes, his headband as well that sat crookedly to the right on his head.

"Mitsuru, I thought you were on a mission with Roku and Sayuri." He murmured, twiddling his fingers. Mitsuru smiled, giving a little shrug.

"Was. It was pretty easy, just a little escort mission… How about you? Don't you and your team have any missions?" He asked, patting Manabu on the head. Manabu blinked, then blushed lightly.

"Er, not today… Sensei hasn't brought anything up about it. Hey, Mitsuru," Manabu began, following Mitsuru into the kitchen, "Have you ever wondered what Haruke does all day when everyone leaves?"

"One time, but then I changed my mind. Why?"

"Well… I'm just curious. I saw him making another doll-"

"Oh, please," Mitsuru drawled as he leaned away from the fridge after grabbing some bags of meat, "It doesn't shock me. Haruke's always making dolls, Manabu. It's nothing new."

"Yea, but… This one was kind of creepy. It looked like-"

"MANABU! WHERE ARE YOU?" Miwa's voice yelled, echoing through the house and making Manabu wince. Mitsuru glanced up, cocking a brow as the sound of Miwa slamming the front door shut followed.

"What'd you do?" He asked Manabu, who sighed, shaking his head, but said nothing as Miwa came into the dining room.

"You ditched me, you jerk! I hope you starve because I ate your ramen," Miwa stopped when she saw Mitsuru and her mood immediately brightened, "BIG BROTHER!" She rushed to Mitsuru, making him drop his things to catch her in a tackling sort of hug.

"Whoa! Miwa, calm down, yeesh!" Mitsuru exclaimed, smiling as he hugged Miwa tightly. Miwa buried her face against his shoulder, beaming.

"I'm in such a better mood now! You have no idea how mean everyone's been while you were gone, even Manabu!" She cried with a pout. Manabu twitched. Mitsuru glanced at Manabu, who shook his head, waving his ungloved hand at him.

"She's lying! I haven't! I just got up earlier than usual!" He protested nervously. Miwa huffed, whipping around and folding her arms over her chest.

"Yea, right! You've been hanging around Haruke a lot! You know he's a demon!" She retorted, jerking her head to the side. Manabu gritted his teeth, but said nothing. He knew there was no point in arguing with her, especially when Mitsuru was giving them both the 'shut up or I'll smash your heads together' look.

"Haruke's been quieter than usual lately too," Miwa pointed out with a sigh of relief as she waved her hand idly in her face, "Good thing too, his voice is sooo annoying. Almost everyone in the village hates him, even Sayuri and Shisui." Mitsuru patted her on the head.

"That's enough, Miwa. Haruke gets enough punishment by being locked up at home, so don't waste your breath on him. Let's make something to eat, hm? Looks to me like we've got some deer meat…"

"YES! I'm so glad you're back, Mitsuru!" Miwa sang happily, clasping her hands together and beaming as Mitsuru smirked. Manabu merely shook his head and turned, leaving the dining room. He went upstairs to his room, pulling the hood back off his head and running a hand through his flippy hair. He stopped when he saw Haruke's room open just a bit.

His purple eyes widened in curiosity as he glanced up and down the hallways, then into the room. He'd only been inside Haruke's room once, but that was when Haruke had to share with Mitsuru and now Haruke had his own little room.

Peering inside, Manabu was blasted with surprise. Rows and rows of shelves decorated the walls with a countless number of voodoo dolls sitting there, their round button eyes staring off into space like mindless prisoners. Haruke's bed was definitely not slept in as it was perfectly made up. At the end was an open chest of sewing items, including a bag of materials.

Hanging over Haruke's bed was a large, bird's eye view of Konohagakure with red dots on certain buildings and a large arrow pointing to the wall surrounding the village. Manabu frowned and peeked in some more, pushing on the door so it opened with a soft squeak. He stared at the dolls, recognizing more than half of them as family members, friends, important clans, etc.

Manabu blinked, seeing a full shelf of dolls that represented the Hokage's closest advisors. He took a step in, but a strong grip caught the back of his hoodie, making him gasp in surprise before his back hit someone's chest and a hand flew over his mouth.

"Well, well, and I thought it was just mom and dad that I had to keep an eye on," Haruke's voice drawled behind him as the hand clenched over his mouth, making Manabu's eyes widen, "I didn't think you were going to be a problem…" Manabu squirmed a little, grabbing Haruke's hand and pulling it off his mouth.

"Haruke, what're you doing?" He managed in a quiet voice, looking up at Haruke, who shrugged.

"Making a collection… Sitting in this house all by myself is lonely and boring. You should know since you don't even have any friends and being free to run around." He pointed out with a dirty smirk. Manabu ignored the insult the best he could, tightening his grip on Haruke's hand.

"What about the map?"

"The map is there to take up space."

"You're lying," Manabu accused quickly, making Haruke's eyes narrow down at him, "There's red dots everywhere and an arrow… You're doing something!"

"Is that what you think? Well, you think too much… And if you talk too much, I'll sew your big mouth shut myself." Haruke smirked, thrusting his fingers out in Manabu's face to reveal a needle and thread already in hand. Manabu's mouth snapped shut, his teeth clicking as his eyes widened, staring straight at the needle. Haruke's smirk grew more sly and fox-like before he closed his eyes, tilting his head.

"That's what I thought… That's why I like you more than Miwa and Mitsuru. You actually listen to what I say…" He mused, slowly releasing Manabu, who stumbled a bit before Haruke gave him a smack in the back of the head with his open palm.

"Now go to your room." Haruke commanded. Manabu immediately bolted down the hallway to his room, slamming his door shut and locking it. Haruke watched with a laugh before he tucked his needle and thread back into his sleeve with the others. He walked into his room, shutting the door and glancing at the wall of dolls with a cocked brow and puckered lips of distaste.

"Me? Doing something? Something bad…? Where would he get that idea?"

**Next Day**

"I know something's wrong… He's acting scarier than usual." Manabu insisted as he crashed his kunai together with Saki Hiro's. Hiro, Osamu's child, had flat brown hair that was smoothed back by his headband, touching his shoulders. His dark green eyes were focusing both on the training exercise as well as Manabu's concerns.

"I'm surprised you even want to get involved," Hiro pointed out quietly as he pushed back and skidded across the grass, his open crème waist coat with a red Saki symbol on the back fluttering in the wind, "It's like messing with fire." He stood up straight, brushing off his fishnet tank top and adjusting his black ninja sandals. Manabu shrugged, averting his eyes with a little sigh.

"I don't… Want Haruke to think I hate him or don't care about him." He murmured, making Hiro smile a bit.

"You're really nice to him, Manabu… Even if he beats up on you all the time… You have a lot of patience for him. That's admirable." Hiro responded as he tucked his kunai away in the slanted black belt on his waist, holding some summoning scrolls for weapons. His light green shorts, with the right leg shorter than the left, were stained with dirt and blood from the training and he was feeling a bit dizzy from the fact, so he plopped down in the grass. Manabu did the same, sighing as he leaned on his knee.

"We need to watch him," He said suddenly, making Hiro blink in surprise, "Maybe he's not staying home after all… I mean, he can't just pull all those supplies out of nowhere. He has to be getting it from someone!" Hiro sweat dropped.

"But, Manabu, Haruke's totally scary. He's like…" His voice trailed as Manabu tilted his head at him, his eyebrows tilted up in a sad look.

"Please, Hiro. You're the only one I trust to come with me." He pleaded. Hiro stared at him for a moment with a comical expression of 'oh, please, stop begging' before he sighed, turning his head the other way.

"Fine… But if Haruke decides to attack us…"

"I promise I won't ask you for this kind of favor ever again." Manabu beamed. Hiro sighed again, but rose to his feet, helping Manabu up.

"Isn't Miwa coming?" He asked as they walked into town. Manabu frowned a bit, nibbling on the end of his thumb.

"No… Mitsuru's back from his mission, which means Miwa will be hanging all over him, so I don't even want to bother with her."

"All right… You guys are so different now. You used to be basically linked at the hip." Hiro said quietly. Manabu shrugged a bit, looking down.

"Dunno…" His voice trailed and that was the end of the conversation as they rounded a corner onto the street to Manabu's home, but they both stopped at the sight of someone walking out the front door. Manabu grabbed Hiro's arm and they both ducked into a crevice between two old buildings, both of them smashed together like a sandwich.

"Ow." Hiro mumbled against Manabu's ear. Manabu winced a little, then held a finger to his lips the best he could. They both went silent as they heard the sound of feet crunching on the gravel. Manabu frowned.

_If we stay here, he's sure to hear us… We need to move._ He thought, then looked up the side of the building with curious eyes before looking at Hiro, who grimaced a bit at the thought. Within moments, both Genin were on the edge of the rooftop, breathing hard.

"That was way too cramped." Hiro managed, coughing quietly. Manabu panted for air before peering over the edge with curiously wide eyes. He grabbed Hiro's arm again, jerking him and pointing down. Hiro cocked a brow, then followed his friend's gaze, his own eyes widening. Sure enough, Haruke was bolting away from the house before pushing up off the ground and taking off.

Manabu and Hiro shared looks before nodding and shooting off after him, but keeping a safe distance.

They followed Haruke across the populated part of the village before they ended up slowing down in the wooded arena near the southern gates. Haruke landed on the ground silently, standing up slowly. He pulled something from his sleeve as he approached the Jounin waiting at the gate. Manabu frowned, looking at Hiro, who covered his mouth as they watched the scene unfold.

The Jounin looked up, blinking in surprise at first before they both gasped out loud, their hands flying over their chests. Haruke was holding a voodoo doll in both hands now, toothpicks dug deeply into their chests. The dolls stared straight into space with black button eyes, now matching the eyes of the dead Jounin, who crumpled to the ground.

Haruke's eyes remained emotionless as he dropped the dolls to the ground, walking up to the gates. There was silence until Haruke rolled his eyes, putting a hand on his hip.

"I'm already here, you ass. You don't have to be so cautious." He snorted. There was the sound of a twig snapping before someone stepped from behind some bushes. Manabu's eyes widened and Hiro tried not to gasp. The older teenager wore a long crème coat with a hood and a high collar that hid some of his mouth. A black strap of leather went around his eyes. His hands were stuffed into his coat pockets as his navy ninja shoes kicked some up gravel.

"Zakuro!" Hiro whispered, making Manabu nod. Zakuro reached up, running a hand through his choppy dark brown hair with an exasperated sigh.

"You don't have to get so cocky, kid… Looks like you've got a doll for everyone." He pointed out, smirking as he bent down, picking up one of the Jounin dolls. Haruke's eyes were narrowed dangerously as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Almost everyone… I should be finished making one for everyone in this stupid village by the end of the week… I should hope that you're keeping people away so I don't have to keep making them."

"Done and done… Everyone's waiting, by the way. We've found the perfect place for you to set everything up."

"Good… You'll take me there Friday night. I should hope there's something to distract the village."

"Oh, hell yea. Just you wait." Zakuro smirked and Haruke cocked his head, giving an almost innocent smile.

"And keep some of _them_ here… I'll be needing updates." He added. Zakuro nodded as he turned to leave, but paused.

"You really think this is going to work? I mean… No offense, Haruke, but you're still just a kid."

"You can ask that when this place is burnt to the ground." Haruke snapped in annoyance, making Zakuro shake his head before shooting off into the shadows of the forest outside the gates. Haruke turned around, then stared straight ahead as a leaf fluttered to the ground. His eyes darkened.

_Rats._

Up ahead, Manabu and Hiro were shooting off quickly.

"He saw us! I know he did!" Hiro insisted as they bolted across the ground now before jumping back up into the trees. Manabu grimaced.

"I can't say that I disagree… But… Did that really just happen?" He asked, feeling his chest tighten as the emotions threatened to come up. Hiro grimaced.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too… We have to hurry. Haruke's probably already coming after us. We need to tell my parents."

"Your parents? What about the Hokage? And the other Jounin?"

"I don't know if we'll have time to tell all of them," Manabu murmured, then looked up as they neared town, "Maybe we'll split up…?"

"What if Haruke comes after one of us and we can't handle him? Obviously Jounin can't handle him… He might be past Jounin rank and we're only Genin!"

"No," Manabu mumbled as they touched the ground at the same time before shooting off again, "Haruke's not a ninja, he has no rank…"

"You damn fucking right I don't." Manabu and Hiro both landed to a complete halt on a tree branch, jerking their heads up as Haruke stood across the clearing from them on another tree branch, his eyes narrowed.

"Looks like I've got myself a couple of rats," He muttered, then smirked as he cocked his head as he allowed a needle and thread to dangle from his yukata sleeve, "Oh well, I've been wanting to try out this new jutsu of mine…"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: So, I jumped right into the drama without waiting until the second chapter because I got so excited that I nearly wrote the whole battle scene in this one chapter o-o! My emotions rule over me xD! Sorry if it was so quick like that. I'll try to slow down a little… Hopefully it's detailed enough, though! I think that's all for now, thank you very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are totally awesome :D!**


	26. Chapter 26

**WOO! O_O CHAPTER!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I already claimed as my own as well as Jiki and Zakuro!**

**Yea, I'll be listing a huge chapter of disclaimers at the end of the series o3o!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty-Six: **Battling the Family! The Ultimate Jutsu!**

"What do we do?" Hiro asked quickly, looking at Manabu, who stared at Haruke in mostly shock. Manabu's lips moved, but no sound escaped and Haruke smirked as he wrapped some thread around his palm, holding the needle in his other hand.

"What's wrong, little brother? Don't think I won't try it?" Haruke asked, tilting his head as he gripped the taunt thread. Manabu winced, then clenched his fists.

"Haruke, what are you thinking? Are you crazy? You can't possible still hold a grudge against the village." He protested. Haruke frowned, then rolled his eyes.

"It's not a grudge… I just hate shinobi for being stuck up bastards. Now come on, show me what all your training did… If anything at all." He mocked. Manabu grimaced as Hiro went for a scroll on his belt, but Manabu grabbed his wrist.

"Don't," Manabu said quickly, "I know you don't want to fight him."

"I don't," Hiro mumbled, "But it's best to make the first move anyway in defense."

"Hiro, if we both fight him and fail, who's going to warn the village? Go find my parents and tell them what Haruke's doing and do it now before it's too late." Manabu pleaded, staring at Hiro intently with serious purple eyes. Hiro stared back with his dark green eyes before he slowly pulled his hand away, nodding quickly.

"Be careful, Manabu, please."

"I know." Manabu murmured. Hiro whipped around and shot off. Haruke's eyes flashed and he swung his needle around, raising a hand over it and sending the needle racing after Hiro's ankle. Manabu moved fast, whipping out a shuriken and thrusting it at the thread, cutting through it easily. Haruke's eyes darkened as the needle fell, allowing Hiro to escape quickly through the trees.

"You little brat," He muttered, "You don't think I have an endless supply of those type of needles, do you? Fine, waste my time." He smirked now as he dropped another thread and needle from his sleeve, flinging it toward Manabu's face. Manabu brought a kunai around, knocking the needle off course. Haruke made a hand sign.

"Watch me." He stated, then thrust two fingers forward and the needle moved, doing a round curve and swinging around. Manabu's eyes flashed and he gasped as the needle shot through his hood and right through his earlobe, coming out the other end. Haruke jerked tight and the needle was torn backwards on its path through Manabu's hood and ear.

Manabu clamped a hand over his ear, knocking his hood off. His eyes flashed as Haruke swung his other hand out, threads and needles flinging off each finger and heading straight for him.

Manabu reached into his weapons pouch and whipped around, flicking open a large fuuma shuriken with curled points for hooking. He swung the large weapon around, sending all the needles away with the threads. Haruke smirked and this time, he removed something from his sleeve.

A doll. A doll that made Manabu's eyes widen in recognition.

It was a voodoo doll made to look just like him, the same outfit, hair, and dark purple button eyes that stared back at him, almost saying 'please, run!'

"I was saving to use this last, but if you don't want to hold still, then I'll make you." Haruke stated, then removed a strand of Manabu's hair and a bit of blood from the needle that had pierced him. He tucked it into the doll's neck before easily thrusting a needle through it, his fingers moving almost as fast as someone making hand signs.

In a flash, Haruke thrust the doll out toward Manabu to show it off before he made a hand sign with one hand, clenching his fist around the doll, making it smoosh. Manabu blinked, then gasped, blood flying from his mouth as a powerful pressure encased his body tightly. He felt his lungs being crushed, the air leaving them as a squeak. Blood dripped down the sides of Manabu's mouth as Haruke gripped the doll tightly.

"I rather keep you," Haruke said to him calmly, "After all, you're more obedient than Miwa or Mitsuru, even our stupid parents… You're perfect for this jutsu." He ducked his head down, biting some thread between his teeth from somewhere in the collar of his yukata. He jerked his head to the side, whipping out a long string of thick thread, most likely some kind of wire and he easily tied it around the doll.

Manabu winced and looked down to see the indentations of the wire on his clothing and hand. He jerked his head up as Haruke took the doll toward him. He bit down on the doll's midsection and slammed his hands together in an unfamiliar hand sign. Manabu winced as he felt Haruke's teeth piercing into his torso, the feeling of warm blood seeping through his clothes.

"Haruke," Manabu managed with a strangled gasp, "Stop! You're hurting me! Why are you doing all this? Just because you can't leave the house?" Haruke glared at him as he reached up, taking the doll from his mouth, holding the doll like some kind of precious gem.

"Oh, please. I'm not small-minded… I'm doing this because it's funny," Haruke smirked dangerously, "It's funny to see all you ninja scurry around like mice because of something you can't control. I'm going to make everyone in this village run around! All the while, I'll be laughing at the fact that you're not as strong as you all think! Of course, I'll admit that I can't do it alone, so I've called on the assistance of people who've also been excluded from the 'real ninjas'… They're just here to help me until I feel like disposing of them too… But you're pretty lucky you've listened to me as long as you have because I'll gladly keep you around, Manabu… Only I'll make sure you don't do _anything_ to disobey me now…" His voice trailed as he began to encase the doll in his hands with a glowing orb of chakra. Manabu stared at him, then winced as he felt the wire tighten around him, making him gasp.

"Haruke, stop!"

"Voodoo Jutsu: Human Doll!" Haruke barked, his eyes lifting as he smiled. Manabu squeezed his eyes shut, feeling a numbing sensation overcome him. A cool feeling that left him feeling empty as if he had been plunged into a dark abyss. Even the darkness was real as he collapsed to his knees, slumping forward off the tree branch.

Haruke winced and went to catch him, but stopped immediately in time to see someone bolt forward and catch the falling boy. Haruke stepped away from the side of the branch and looked up, frowning.

"Great." He muttered. Ruriko, Sasuke, and Hiro stood on the branch, facing toward him.

"Haruke! What the hell is wrong with you?" Ruriko demanded angrily, her lavender eyes glowing angrily. Haruke clenched his fists, gritting his teeth before he relaxed and smiled lightly.

"Nothing's wrong," He drawled, "Why would you think that?" Ruriko glared.

"Because you just attacked your brother! Haruke, go back home, right now. We'll discuss more of this then."

"Ah, I would," Haruke answered, letting his eyes drift away before he looked back at them, "But I'm not going anywhere, at least, not with you guys. I've got something in my schedule that requires my being somewhere else."

"If you're going to be a smartass, I'll make you come with me." Ruriko warned, clenching her fists. Haruke paused, then quickly whipped around, taking off. Ruriko blinked before Sasuke gave her a thump on the back.

"Go after him!" Sasuke commanded. Ruriko immediately bolted after him, narrowing her eyes as she shot through the trees. She could easily keep up with Haruke, but she was a bit surprised. How could he be so fit if he stayed at home? No… Hiro had told her already, but she just didn't want to believe it. She gritted her teeth and pushed herself faster, making a hand sign with one hand.

She went to fling her hand forward, but she suddenly felt as if a strong grip had a hold of her wrist. In a second, there was a sickening crack and Ruriko barked in pain, skidding to a stop on a branch. She jerked her head up as she held her hand to her gut. Up ahead, Haruke had stopped, turning to face her with a flat expression.

"Sorry," He tilted his head and smiled, "But I never really liked electricity, mom." He pulled a doll from his sleeve, looking down at it with an expression similar to nostalgia. Ruriko stared at him, then grimaced.

"Haruke… I know you're mad and I'm sorry… It's not your fault you have what you have, but we've tried to make up for it. Your brothers and your sister, myself and your dad. Taking it out on everyone else is wrong." She explained calmly. Haruke glanced at her out the corner of his eye.

"Yea, sure. Whatever… You obviously didn't even know that I was sneaking around behind your backs, making plans of my own."

"Haruke, I'm sorry. Please, don't do this… Come on, let's just go home and talk about it. I promise I'll listen." Ruriko said softly. Haruke made a face and jerked his head back to face the doll as he 'hmphed'.

"No. I'm leaving. If you won't let me, I'll make you let me." He stated and his blue eyes darkened as he gripped the doll tightly, pressing his thumbs against the sides of the doll's head. Ruriko blinked and went to speak, but pain ripped through her head. She gasped and clasped her hand to the side of her head, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Agh! Haruke, stop!" She barked angrily. Haruke smirked and pushed harder. Ruriko bolted forward, ignoring the searing pain in her head. Haruke jerked his head up in time for Ruriko to slam into him. They both crashed through the trees, Haruke's hands grasping out as the doll flew up, catching on a tree branch far behind their fall.

"DAMN IT!" Haruke shouted furiously, pushing at Ruriko, who glared at him as she grabbed his arms, threatening to twist them behind his back. Haruke squirmed and flung his hand downwards, releasing another thread and needle; a small bell connected to one end and making it jingle rather loudly for a small bell.

In a flash, something shot out and caught Haruke, easily stealing him away. Ruriko winced and flipped, landing on a tree branch. She jerked her head up to see someone land on a tree branch with Haruke in their arms.

"Put me down, stupid!" Haruke barked in annoyance, glaring at his 'rescuer'. Ruriko immediately recognized the Sand village shinobi from the Chuunin Exams four years prior named Tsukuyomi Jiki, also her nephew; son of Kazuya and Mashiko. His deep black, blood red tinted hair was longer now in a loosely tied ponytail, save for some locks that hung down his shoulders. His teal eyes danced with excitement, a grin on his face.

He wore a pale blue jacket with abnormally long sleeves, navy blue taking up the rest of his jacket from just under his chest to his ankles. A pair of navy ninja boots covered his feet as he let Haruke down.

"Sorry. I didn't hear the bell in time." Jiki apologized in a definitely more matured voice as he cocked his head, still smiling. Haruke merely rolled his eyes, then looked over at Ruriko, who glared at him.

"Haruke…" Her voice was edgy and cold. Haruke's eyes flashed as Ruriko bolted forward. Haruke grimaced.

"Jiki!" He commanded. Jiki immediately made a hand sign, thrusting up a huge wall of earth that rumbled from the ground below. Ruriko winced, kicking off it and doing a flip to land on a nearby branch. She glared and made a hand sign, thrusting her good hand out and allowing a huge storm of electricity to crash into the wall, causing it to explode.

Haruke pushed off the tree branch and shot up through the branches. Ruriko easily caught sight of him and pushed off the branch, bolting after him. Haruke glanced down and winced, flinging a hand out to the side.

"Zakuro!" He shouted in command. Ruriko frowned, then blinked as she recognized the name and shot out of the way just in time as a swarm of insects just barely missed her. Ruriko breathed hard, shuddering.

"UGH." She muttered as Zakuro stepped out onto a branch, a hand in his pocket.

"Sorry, miss." He apologized rather curtly, a smirk on his face. Ruriko glared, then looked up as Haruke caught the voodoo doll in his hand, doing a flip and landing on a tree branch high above and looking down.

"Both of you," Haruke ordered, "Get rid of her." Ruriko's expression darkened, her eyes narrowing.

"You're in a lot of trouble, all of you." She muttered, then quickly made a couple hand signs. Electricity shrieked through the woods, exploding off trees and shrieking toward all three of them. Zakuro jumped, doing a flip. Jiki easily skidded across the tree branch, sliding off it and onto another with a little smirk.

"Great, he can't even get rid of his own mother?" He asked Zakuro, who shrugged.

"Mama's boy." He stated. Haruke's eyes flashed as he spat in their direction.

"Fuck you both then," He snapped, "If you can't take care of one woman, just go meet Hageshii at the south gates. I'll follow shortly." Zakuro and Jiki shared looks, almost as if regretting their taunting before they nodded and shot off. Haruke whipped around to face Ruriko with an annoyed expression.

"You're causing me a real hindrance and you'll die a lot sooner, which'll be rather unfortunate for your brats." He muttered. Ruriko glared.

"Uchiha Haruke, if you don't stop fucking around, I'm going to…!" Her voice trailed as she shook with rage, her teeth gritted and bared to reveal the sharpened canines. Haruke smirked, then brought the doll toward him, taking out a needle from his yukata.

"Let's have fun with this then, huh, mom? One last mother son activity…" He brought the needle forward through the doll's stomach.

Ruriko's eyes widened as a sharp pain pierced her gut, blood spewing from her mouth as she hunched over, coughing it up. She winced and glanced up, ignoring the tears that stung her eyes.

"Haruke…" She managed. Haruke sighed, closing his eyes and smiling.

"Let's see where this one will go next." He mused, then slashed the needle across the doll's back, making Ruriko gasp and stumble as blood splattered to the branch, her back sliced open and her jacket torn. She cringed in pain, her weight threatening to keel her over the side of the branch.

The needle slashed down and through the doll's left eye. Ruriko gasped as a stinging pain slashed through her left eye, causing blood to spew before she clamped a hand over her eye. She felt herself on the verge of falling, but a pair of arms caught her and she was surprised to hear Sasuke's voice.

"Haruke!" Sasuke shouted, then winced as Haruke's eyes flashed and he whipped around, shooting off, but not before smirking, sticking his tongue out and giving them a two fingered salute.

"See ya later, guys! And for your sakes, I should hope not!" He mocked and vanished into the thickness of the forest. Ruriko wailed at last, shoving at Sasuke as best she could.

"What the hell are you doing? Go after him! Get him back!" She cried, the tears welling up in her eyes as she struggled to stay standing alone. Sasuke caught her elbows, frowning.

"Ruriko, he's gone. We're too close to the gates-"

"I don't care! Bring him back!"

"Ruriko! Stop it! You're going to get yourself killed trying to go after him in that shape and he's obviously stronger than you thought-"

"I don't care! I don't care! Get off me! If you won't get him, I will!" Ruriko yelled in his face, but she could feel her body stiffening up in pain, an odd sensation puncturing her insides. Pain radiated through her as a throbbing feeling, making her gasp quietly, the tears streaming down her face.

"I hate you…" Ruriko managed, gritting her teeth the best she could. Sasuke frowned.

"Ruriko-"

"I want my baby…" She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to stop the flow of sobs that crept up her throat and past her clenched teeth. Sasuke grimaced, glanced around quickly, then risked putting his arms around her, keeping her standing just barely as well as letting her cry against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Ruriko…" He murmured, frowning as his eyes locked on where Haruke had vanished. He himself was rather beat up as Haruke had left Zakuro and Jiki to fend him off as well as Itachi, who had to help Manabu, and Hiro, who was also badly bruised and cut.

_I have to tell Naruto… And Itachi… Shit…_

**Meanwhile…**

"Your mom looked pretty upset when you got evil on her." Zakuro pointed out as they hopped through the darkness of the trees, away from Konohagakure. Jiki smirked.

"Yea, I saw her crying all right… How does that make you feel?" He asked, looking at Haruke, who was moving through the trees between him and Zakuro. Haruke's blue eyes seemed almost black in the night, his large yukata billowing at their speed.

"Tch," He muttered, "I couldn't possibly care less… I'm only disappointed that Mitsuru had to miss my grand exit." A tad bit of a smirk spread across his face as they landed on the ground in a clearing. Zakuro and Jiki shared cocked browed looks before looking up as another figure entered the clearing.

"Took ya long enough." The older teenager snickered. He was like a ghost in the night, his skin was so pale and it contrasted wit his dark green eyes. His dark blue hair was outrageously spiked, swerving slightly to the right. He was definitely tall with a huge sword sitting vertically on his back with two katanas in an X position on his lower back. He wore an open slate jacket with the front edges barely going around his ribs while a long slate gray cape was clipped to it, hanging to his feet. Underneath he wore a red, sleeveless turtleneck and black fingerless gloves with a fishnet palm, matching his black pants that were tucked into knee length ninja boots. A scar ran along his face, from the bottom of his left ear, traveling just over his nose and ending at his right eyebrow.

Definitely the incarnation of evil standing there with his arms folded over his chest, standing a couple inches taller than Zakuro and Jiki, by far taller than fourteen-year-old Haruke, who was only five foot five.

"We ran into some troubles," Jiki retorted with a crooked smile, "But we're here, aren't we? Hope you sent everyone home, too many people coming along could create a hassle."

"I'm not stupid," The older teenager drawled, sticking out his tongue past sharp teeth, "I made 'em go home after you ditched us to go superhero on us." Haruke glared at Jiki, who huffed."Don't look at me like that! I seriously knew you were in trouble! If I didn't show up, you'd be smashed into the dirt by now." Jiki insisted. Haruke rolled his eyes.

"Why do I even care about that?" He demanded.

"He can't feel anything, remember?" Zakuro muttered dryly and gave Haruke a harsh pinch in the cheek for emphasis. Haruke glared at him for it, batting his hand away.

"That was kinda cute, since he's so young at stuff." Jiki admitted with a wicked snicker, making Zakuro huff and the other teenager bark out a laugh.

"All of you shut up," Haruke snapped, then folded his arms over his chest, "Hageshii, lead the way to the base and it better be comfortable or I'll easily make you three look for another one, we clear?" Jiki frowned, but nodded. Zakuro shrugged. Hageshii cocked a brow, scrunching up his nose as he leaned over a bit, giving Haruke a little poke.

"We're agreeable and shit, but you better be careful who you order about and how you do it," He warned, "You're talking to someone who was born and raised to kill while you were locked up at home, shut-in." Haruke glared at him and smacked his hand away, smirking a bit.

"Go ahead and punch me then, see where it gets you, hothead." He challenged, his eyes locked on Hageshii's. Hageshii twitched in annoyance, narrowing his eyes. Jiki and Zakuro frowned.

"Come on, let's not do anything stupid here. You can beat up on him back at the base." Zakuro stated, shaking his head. Haruke raised an eyebrow, pursing his lips as he looked up at Hageshii, who smirked at the thought.

"Fine." Hageshii stated, standing up straight, then turned and shot off. Haruke shot off after him with Zakuro and Jiki following close behind.

**Later…**

"I can't believe this happened…" Miwa murmured, gripping her hands together tightly as she sat in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting to hear news on her twin and her mother. Beside her, Hiro's cousin, Umeko, was grimacing a bit as she swung her legs back and forth. Her dirty blonde hair was styled over her left shoulder in a spiky fashion, matching her brown eyes.

She wore a tight, light blue top that went to her fingers with the collar swinging below her collarbones and showing off a fishnet top, a pastel pink baggy zipper over top with huge sleeves; the hood a light orange as well as the insides of the zipper. Her crème shorts were rather baggy as well, coming to her ankles where boots finished off her attire.

"I didn't think Haruke was _that_ mean…" She murmured before sighing.

"Tch… I had a feeling he'd do something stupid." Horuki Azusa stated, her arms folded tightly over her chest. She was a raven haired girl with a strand of teal cut into a layered side bang matching her eyes. She wore a sea blue tubetop dress almost to her knees with slits in the side, a black sash tied around her midsection with a fishnet shirt under the dress. A pair of black shorts and white leg warmers as well as black gloves matching ninja shoes and a headband around her neck fixed up the rest of her clothing.

"Azusa's right," Miwa muttered, clenching her fists, "When I get my hands on Haruke…" Her voice trailed as she gritted her teeth. Umeko frowned a bit nervously, twiddling her fingers as she glanced at Miwa.

"If he can hurt your mom, he's probably stronger than an average Genin, I mean, after all, Haruke doesn't really have a rank since he's not a ninja. We don't know what he's capable of." She said softly. Azusa frowned, then rolled her eyes.

"Ranks, shmanks, doesn't matter! Haruke's totally dangerous! We need to hit him before he hits us." She insisted, putting a fist on her hip. Miwa nodded in agreement, then brought a finger to her lip thoughtfully, her eyes narrowed.

"But how? Judging from what my uncle said, Haruke himself didn't even know where he was going. He was being led by a group of missing-nin." She murmured. Umeko averted her eyes.

"Have you ever tried his room…? He might have something in there…"

"… Ew, go into a boy's bedroom?" Miwa asked, pinching her nose, then blinked as she suddenly realized what Umeko said and was on her feet.

"Come on," She stated, "We're going to look in his room." Umeko blinked and Azusa shot to her feet, punching her fist in the air with a grin.

"Now that's a plan! Let's do it!" She declared. In moments, the three kunoichi were bolting down the hallway of the hospital and outside. They shot off as the sky overhead rumbled angrily, flashes of lightening snaking its way through the thick clouds. Droplets of rain began to hit the ground, leaving damp spots slowly before picking up the speed. People fled from the streets into their homes and shelters to avoid the harsh slicing of the icy cold rain.

Miwa stumbled into her house first, gasping for air and shivering. Azusa groaned, shaking herself off and taking off her shoes at the same time. Umeko followed suit, closing the door behind her. Miwa didn't bother with her shoes and raced up the stairs, the other two running after her.

She skidded to a wet stop in front of Haruke's bedroom door, glaring at it for a moment as Umeko and Azusa came to a stop behind her.

"What are you waiting for? Go in!" Azusa exclaimed, reaching for the handle, but Miwa caught her wrist, stopping her with a frown.

"Don't rush in like that! What if he has the room trapped?" She demanded. Umeko blinked, then studied the door up and down with a concentrated expression before she bent down, pointing.

"It is trapped," She murmured curiously, "There's a wire here… You trip it and…" Her voice trailed as she slowly stood up, her finger following the wire up along the side of the door and between a crack in the door to the inside. Miwa narrowed her eyes and pushed both the kunoichi back.

"Give me a second… I'll just set it off and hopefully it'll stop so we can rush in and look around without getting blown up." She added. Azusa nodded in agreement, clenching her fists. Umeko blinked and opened her mouth to speak, but Miwa flicked out a shuriken, slicing the wire easily. There was a sharp _twang_ before a ticking sound followed. Miwa tilted her head near the door to listen.

"What the hell is that?" She muttered. Azusa frowned, listening before her eyes widened.

"It's a bomb!" She barked and grabbed Miwa's arm harshly, jerking her back. She caught Umeko, who yelped and in seconds the door in front of them was blown off the hinges and shot right at them, sending them crashing into a wall. Azusa winced, shoving the door off them. Umeko sat up, coughing as she waving a hand in her face. Miwa grimaced, throwing herself into a sitting position before staring.

"NO!" She yelled, scrambling to her feet. Azusa and Umeko followed suit, staring in horror as flames shrieked around the room, traveling along the walls. Miwa gritted her teeth and didn't even wait a second to think before plunging straight through the door.

"Miwa!" Azusa shouted and ran after her. Umeko gulped immediately, pressing up against the wall and tensing up as she watched the flames scream about, spreading quickly. Meanwhile, Miwa bolted in making it to a less ruined area of the room. She watched in horror as the flames ate up empty shelves, setting the bed aflame and morphing the wood to ash and blankets to burnt material.

"No! Goddamn it!" She cried in exasperation, whipping around. Azusa frowned and went to grab Miwa quickly to flee, but her eyes landed on something hanging on the wall just over the bed, making her face pale. She pointed.

"Miwa… Look." She murmured. Miwa frowned and whipped around, following Azusa's stare before she herself felt as if the blood drained from her face.

Hanging on the wall just over the bed was a large map of Konohagakure with red dots placed neatly over certain, important buildings along with a large arrow pointing to the wall surrounding said village. Multiple numbers were etched onto the left side and at the top read in bold letters:

**DESTROY**

**Somewhere Near the No Longer Existing Otogakure…**

"You picked a creepy place." Haruke commented, wiping a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth, looking up at the hideout. Above it was the symbol of a music note, cracking and ready to give way into the archway entrance that led underground. A snake statue, partially ruined with empty eye sockets, was poised near the entrance with its jaws open wide.

"It's one of Orochimaru's ancient hideouts," Zakuro replied, his nose twitching slightly as if a smell was bothering him, "He abandoned it a long ass time ago. It used to belong to Kuromura Kotaro when he became a hotshot murderer, but he eventually gave up on it…"

"We picked it for a perfectly good reason and you'll love it, Haruke! You really will!" Jiki boosted eagerly, flashing Haruke a smile. Haruke cocked his head curiously before Hageshii easily reached out, ruffling up his hair in the process of pushing his thumb on a fresh cut in Haruke's forehead. Haruke glanced at him flatly.

"Just hurry up already," Hageshii retorted, "I don't wanna stand out here all damn day for some lame history lesson."

"You've got nerve accusing me of being a kid," Haruke muttered, "When you're about as impatient as a little brat. I would know, I have younger siblings." Hageshii rolled his eyes, dropping his hand off Haruke's head before walking inside. Haruke followed close behind as he was led down a dark hallway into the depths of the earth.

Their shoes scuffed on the dusty cobblestone floor, kicking up loose stones or rocks. Old rickety wooden doors led to separate rooms, some doors missing and revealing nothing, but empty rooms. Haruke frowned, then looked up as Hageshii led them into a small room in the back, his eyes widening slightly.

The room was small, so Hageshii and Jiki had to bend a little to get in all the way and the only light came from a small hole in the ceiling above. The light shown down on a model that was sitting on the floor, about the size of a merry-go-round or maybe a bit bigger.

The model was most of the way made, save for a wall going around it. The model was almost an exact replica of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konohagakure. Even a small model of the Hokage Faces sat comfortably amongst the fake trees and buildings made of stone.

"How did you…? Why…?" Haruke couldn't even begin to question the irony. Jiki snickered proudly while Zakuro folded his arms over his chest, Hageshii merely smirking.

"Looks like Kotaro wanted to keep an eye on Konohagakure as well," Zakuro informed obediently, "He made a model of the village to make sure he'd know the route through and any escapes. He didn't bother making the wall, though, so if you want that jutsu of yours to work, then you might want to build one yourself…" His voice trailed as he cocked a brow. The three older teens watched as Haruke got on his knees to stare at the model in utter fascination, just like a child.

"This is amazing… It looks the same… The village hasn't changed since so long ago, it's amazing! Even the Hokage Faces are perfect, although, we still need to add Naruto's… And the wall. I want it to be perfect, so we'll need the same exact stones used to make this model." He murmured, reaching out to run his finger over the dusty rooftop of a home he recognized very much as his own.

"There should be some extras around here somewhere," Jiki replied, flipping a hand out through his hair, "A couple of us will start looking, but we can't stay in here forever. The room is way too small."

"That's another thing," Haruke said, getting to his feet now, glancing at them, "The room needs to be fixed. I can't make this by myself and I'll need help from others. The roof needs to be arched up higher and I want that wall out there knocked out so there's a hallway that leads in here from the next room, which I'll use as my own."

"Yes, sir." Jiki beamed, giving a lazy salute before prancing out with Zakuro, who rolled his eyes and followed after. Haruke was scanning the model for a moment rather thoughtfully before he caught Hageshii moving out the corner of his eye.

"Hold up," He commanded, making Hageshii huff indigenously, "I want you to knock out the wall… You're strong enough anyway, but don't think that's a compliment because that's the only thing you're good for." He smirked and Hageshii tensed up, only grinning a bit angrily as he clenched a fist.

"Speaking of strong, I believe you owe me something."

"And what's that, hothead?"

"Something about letting me beat you to a bloody pulp for being a cocky brat." Hageshii mocked. Haruke glared at him, easily taking a step back, then smirking as he pointed a finger up toward the roof.

"After you fix up this room, you can. I don't think it'd be very fun to beat me up with your head hitting the ceiling so hard, whatever's left of your brains falls out." He taunted, making Hageshii twitch in annoyance. The older teen rolled his eyes and turned around, making a hand sign as he prepared to knock out the wall. Meanwhile, Haruke turned to the model, grinning crookedly.

_Perfect… With this model, I can easily make my own Konohagakure… A voodoo style so that whatever I do to this stupid village and the dolls inside will crash and burn!_

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: YEA! O3o Dramaaaaa~ And more to come :3 There are a couple arcs planned for Part II and right now, I don't have a Part III for this… So, as far as I know, this is the last part for the entire **_**Shadows**_** series before I focus on **_**War, Cry, Hell**_** and I will be working on an endless collection of oneshots called **_**Kage's Korner**_** in which there will be many deleted/bonus chapters and whatnot. :D I will post the opening to that after I finish Part II of **_**Shadows of the Next Generation**_**. Well, all done ranting here :D! Thanks super much for reading, hope the characters are in character and your reviews are highly appreciated!**


	27. Chapter 27

**WOO! O_O CHAPTER!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I already claimed as my own! I also own Fujikawa Ryuji ^^**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty-Seven: **To Distract Your Attention… A Creepy Pedophile-Say What!**

Rain poured down continuously, filling the streets with countless thick puddles that rippled with each icy drop. Frogs croaked miserably as animals ducked for cover, as well as the civilians of Konohagakure. Dark clouds rolled overhead, moaning and groaning with casual flickers of white lightening.

Konohagakure's hospital was quiet, save for the soft beeping from select rooms. People moved like ghosts, silently and pale with illness, wounds, or fear. The only other noise came from one room, a few voices muttering and murmuring.

"We don't know where he went," Kakashi admitted with a frown, ignoring the fact that he was dripping wet while his summoning dog, Pakkun, sighed by his feet, "The rain's coming down too hard and it washed away the scent… We got as far as the northeast border before we lost the scent." Pakkun sneezed as an agreement, rubbing his paw against his nose. Itachi didn't move from his seat at the end of the bed, a leg folded underneath him as he pulled at a bandage on his arm.

"I see…" He murmured, averting his eyes to Ruriko, who was sitting up in the hospital bed, staring past tired eyes at the sheets. Her arm was slung to her chest, which was all bandaged around while a gauze pad was tied over her left eye. It was obvious there was going to be a scar as stitches ran from an inch above her forehead all the way to her lower left jaw; entirely through her eye.

"Miwa and her friends are safe too," Kakashi added, "They said they could only look at the map a while longer before the flames burnt the rest of the house… Unfortunately, we couldn't recover much from the fire and I'm sorry…"

"It's fine," Itachi replied quietly, "You did what you could… We didn't know the house was trapped… They were well hidden."

"Very." Kakashi agreed, then glanced at Ruriko, who just glanced out the window out the corner of her eye. He sighed and went to speak, but Kotori walked in, holding a pile of towels for Kakashi.

"Jeez, you're soaking wet," Kotori muttered, tossing a towel on his head and another around his shoulders, "You need to change. There should be some extra clothing down the hall… Shower first, though. You'll get sick if you don't." Kakashi smiled behind his mask and nodded to Itachi and Ruriko before departing with Kotori, who bent down and scooped up Pakkun in her arms in a couple towels before following.

Itachi looked at Ruriko, who was looking down at the bandages around her torso. She looked up, feeling his eyes on her and frowned.

"What?" She asked at last. Itachi looked the other way, frowning a bit himself.

"Nothing… I'm worried is all. For you, for Mitsuru, Miwa, and Manabu… And for Haruke… Sitting here and doing nothing is irking me."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Ruriko murmured, clenching her good fist over some blankets, "We need to find him… And bring him back… And goddamn it, we're getting rid of all his dolls this time."

"Will that really work, though?" Itachi asked. Ruriko blinked and looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"We took his dolls, we took his freedom, and we took the title he was so eager to get when he was a child… He's doing this out of the resentment people saw towards him."

"We never resented him!"

"No, of course not, but does Haruke know that? No, he doesn't," Itachi answered rhetorically, frowning as Ruriko listened quietly, "Haruke just wanted to be like everyone else, like all the other shinobi, but there was no way he could do that with everyone holding him back…"

"Yea, but… He was sick."

"Not sick, but handling a complicated condition. He had to see a doctor almost every week to make sure he wasn't sick or mortally wounded because he couldn't feel or sense it. We treated it like a disease instead of a handicap… Not to mention, we hardly taught Haruke much about it. We immediately came to the conclusion that we had to be overprotective." Itachi explained calmly. Ruriko stared at him, then looked away, wishing her eyes would stop welling up.

"… You're right… Oh gods, now I feel terrible…"

"Ruriko-"

"We have to get them back, Itachi… Forget looking for Madara. I want our son back."

"… Me too, Ruriko." Itachi sighed and reached out, pulling Ruriko in a hug, a hand on her back as she shuddered with quiet sobs. She buried her face against his shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut as she sniffled.

"I feel like I've been a terrible mom…" She mumbled.

"You haven't. Don't say that…" Itachi scolded softly, gripping her tightly. Ruriko hugged him back as best she could, still hiding her face in his shoulder, wishing she'd quit crying.

Out in the hallway, Mitsuru frowned as he leaned with folded arms just outside the doorway to his mother's hospital room. He pushed off the wall, closing his eyes in a thoughtful frown. He turned and headed down the hallway, his black ninja shoes scuffing the floor with a wet sound as water dripped after him. His entire uniform, black Chuunin vest with the long sleeves, thin collar, fishnet undershirt and light gray pants, were soaked all the way through. Even the crookedly set headband on his head was wet as his hair hung over his shoulders.

He walked into the lobby, ready to leave and head to the hotel room he rented out, but stopped when he saw someone familiar standing near the shadows of the hospital as it was nearing the closing time for visitors.

He wore a familiar pencil gray beanie cap over loose raven hair, brushed mostly toward the center of his face between his lilac eyes; black fingerless gloves on his hands, duct tape running around the palms of them like his shabby boots. He wore a loose, dark gray jumpsuit with elbow length billowy sleeves that matched the legs of the jumpsuit. The collar stood up slightly and the jumpsuit was unzipped to the center of his torso, revealing a gray shirt with silver mesh making up a v-neck collar. A loose black belt went around his waist, holding a blackened jar to it.

"Kazuhiko." Mitsuru stated automatically. Kazuhiko glanced up flatly at first before recognizing his relative and he turned to face him.

"Hey, sorry about your mom and brothers… Always knew Haruke was an ass." He added, cocking a brow. Mitsuru snorted in response, then averted his eyes.

"Did you want to visit my mom? Her room is just down the hall, to the left, room 108."

"Thanks." Kazuhiko replied curtly. Mitsuru gave him a once over and pointed at him with an almost comical expression of 'you slob'.

"Dressed kind of interesting there, thought you had a job at the ramen shop."

"Was fired."

"Again?"

"Yea, apparently customers don't like it when you taste their soups."

"Jeez, that's the billionth job you got fired from… You still have your apartment?"

"Oh, sure, I do… But not for long. Gettin' evicted." Kazuhiko replied with a small, almost innocent smile, jabbing a thumb at himself. Mitsuru twitched, then scowled, putting a hand on his hip.

"What the hell! We brought you back here to make a living, Kazuhiko, not a nuisance."

"It's not a nuisance. Who said I wasn't enjoying myself anyway? So what if I get evicted? It gives me something to do."

"If you tell my mom, she's going to make you live with us when we get our new house."

"New house, huh? Heard your last one burnt… Haruke." Kazuhiko said at the same time Mitsuru did. They both stared at each other, mostly out of annoyance at speaking in unison before Kazuhiko waved him off.

"I can't believe you're related to me."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, dunderhead… Although, you have that temper problem that everyone on your mom's side has." Kazuhiko admitted with a light shrug before he easily went down the hallway with a light smirk on his face of almost satisfaction. Mitsuru glared after him, but even as he did, the glare softened as Mitsuru looked away.

_I can't hate him… Mom did a lot of things for him, like helping him get on his feet and make some money and even revoke his ninja title… He's not that bad anyway. He's actually smiling now. He used to be so boring and flat. He's even talking more…_ He thought with a light smile, then turned and shot from the hospital, heading to the Hokage's residence.

He landed just outside the doors, walking in and making his way up to the Hokage's office, passing a few muttering Jounin on the way there. He glanced over his shoulder with a frown at them before walking into Naruto's office.

Inside, Naruto was sitting on his desk with a frown very unbefitting on his young face. His blonde hair seemed wet, as if he had just gotten inside from the rain outside. His Hokage's uniform was also rather damp. He glanced up with curious ocean blue eyes.

"Mitsuru." He stated. Mitsuru frowned a little.

"Lord Hokage… Uhm, just out of curiosity… From the information collected in the past several hours…" His voice trailed as Naruto shook his head with a miserable sigh. He slid off the desk, frowning.

"We have no word on Haruke nor his subordinates after Kakashi and Inuzuka Clan lost track of them… Some of the clan is still out looking, even a couple Genin. We're doing as much as we can and as much as I hate to say this, we have to be patient and wait." He muttered, leaning a hand on his desk. Mitsuru groaned, clenching his fists and wanting to rip his hair out, but he just flung his fists down at his sides, huffing.

"Ugh, this is going to make me miserable! My mom and brother are in the hospital, our house is nothing, but a pile of wet ash, and Haruke's probably long gone by now, out of the country, maybe even not on the main land anymore! Then again, knowing that chicken, he wouldn't go near the water…" His voice drifted as Naruto stared at him for a moment. Mitsuru shrugged, running a hand over the back of his neck.

"Haruke never really liked water, ya know? Drowning, I guess, because he says it sounds creepy… At least, that's what he thought when we were little. He might have changed his thoughts."

"I see… Well, at least that narrows our search to the main land."

"I guess… But that'll still take forever."

"That's what you think," Naruto huffed, putting a hand on his hip and giving a little smirk, "Your mom ever tell you about how she was kidnapped by Orochimaru and was dragged almost halfway around the world in a big ass circle with Sasuke?" Mitsuru blinked, remembering something faintly about his mother mentioning it, but never really laying out the story. Naruto laughed obnoxiously, folding his arms over his chest.

"Hoooo boy! Long ass story, but to make things short, she tricked Sasuke into thinking she knew where Akatsuki was and she dragged his ass all over the main land, even off onto an island… And all the while, she had her buddies, including me, tailing her and Sasuke until we met up about twice or thrice. Either way, anything's possible with effort, so don't give up hope! We're going to find your brother and kick his ass back here to Konohagakure!" Naruto assured proudly, thumping a fist against his chest. Mitsuru stared at him, surprised before slowly smiling.

"Yea… Definitely!" He agreed, clenching a fist tightly as his veins flowed with reborn energy. Naruto grinned, cocking his head and closing his eyes, giving him a thumbs up.

"Atta boy! And I know just the thing that'll pass the time too and might even get you some information…" He drawled, sliding a file off his desk and thrusting it forward. Mitsuru blinked and caught the file folder, opening it and staring at the papers inside.

"Looks like there's some kids going missing in a town nearby the northeast border, you know, somewhere around the place where Haruke's scent was lost… Maybe his buddies got bored waiting around or something and decided to take out a village. Who knows?" Naruto offered with a light shrug.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

"I'm teaming you up with Sayuri and Nakusu, who are both free for a mission along with Kotori-sensei. Think you can handle this mission? Requires lots of thinking and digging." Naruto admitted. Mitsuru nodded, closing the file and tucking it under his arm.

"Yes, sir."

"All righty then! And I'll be scooping up as much as I can on Haruke!"

"Thanks! See ya later, Lord Hokage!"

"See ya, Mitsuru!"

**Later…**

Mitsuru approached Nakusu's house first with the file in hand, his feet soaking wet from stomping in deep puddles. He rushed into the cover of the porch roof. He walked up to the door, shaking off a little before knocking. He waited before Sasuke answered the door, staring at him with a cocked brow.

"You're soaking wet, Mitsuru. Shouldn't you be at the hospital with your parents?" He asked. Mitsuru smiled meekly, ducking his head a little.

"Sorry, uncle… But I'm kind of in a hurry. I'm here to pick up Nakusu. Lord Hokage sent me." He replied. Sasuke blinked, then sighed, shaking his head and frowning a bit as he ran a hand through his hair.

"All right, I give… Come in, but stay on the mat here." He added, making a face at Mitsuru's sopping wet state. Mitsuru nodded and entered, closing the door behind him and watching as Sasuke called up the stairs.

"Nakusu! Mitsuru's here, you have a mission!" He yelled, then turned and headed into the kitchen to prep some hot tea. Mitsuru watched him go before yelping as a pair of arms engulfed him in a suffocating hug of pure death- I mean love.

"My little Mitsuru! Aww, look at you! You look like a wet kitten!" Shisui complained, jumping back with a pout. Shisui was as tall and girly as ever, his long, luscious blue hair tied up in a hairclip. He wore a black kimono-like top that stopped just above his heart pierced bellybutton and long, billowy black pants. A loose, dark pink bow was tied tightly around his waist, the ends almost touching the floor. His entire right ear was pierced with silver hoops, a diamond stuck piercing his lower lip and his left nostril.

Mitsuru twitched, glaring at him as pink swept across his face like the dark clouds in the sky.

"Shisui, I told you not to jump me like that. I almost fell over!" He snapped. Shisui beamed, the strawberry lip-gloss on his lips sparkling in the light of the hall as he twiddled a finger against his cheek.

"I couldn't help myself, you've been too busy to come visit me! We should really catch up sometime! How're you and Sayuri, by the way?" He asked curiously, cocking his head. Mitsuru blushed an angry red now, wincing.

"What the hell do you mean by that? We're not dating! We're just friends!"

"Oh, please! I know you guys are totally in love! It's obvious because not only do you have a picture of her in your room, but you guys have been on several dates-"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW I HAVE A PICTURE OF HER IN MY ROOM?" Mitsuru demanded rather loudly, his eyes turning to angry, comical slits. Shisui blinked, then giggled shyly, flipping his hair around a finger.

"What picture?" He teased. Mitsuru groaned, then dropped his face in his hands, listening to Shisui giggle wildly. _It's not like the picture's in my room anymore… It's in my weapons pouch, but there's no way in hell I'm telling SHISUI that. Him and his big mouth, he'll run to Sayuri, blabbing it and I'll never hear the end of it!_ He thought in annoyance, clenching his fists.

"Quit teasing him, Shisui, you are not a child anymore." A mature and formal voice stated from the stairs. Mitsuru jerked his head up in relief at Nakusu's presence. Shisui pouted and whipped around, grinning now.

Nakusu stood at the base of the stairs, looking rather grown up now. He's grown to a whopping five foot eight, dressed comfortably in an Anbu's uniform with the shirt underneath going far past his fingertips, hiding the armored elbow length black gloves, and the pants baggy enough to hide his armored ninja boots. He wore his headband tilted over the empty right eye socket. His navy hair messy and sticking up randomly while his single blue eye watched them closely.

"Thank gods," Mitsuru muttered, then waved a hand, "Come on. We have a mission to attend to. Lord Hokage gave it to us." He held up the file folder. Nakusu blinked and walked over, stepping past a gushing Shisui to take the file and scan it over.

"Is it dangerous?" Shisui asked worriedly, clasping his hands together tightly. Mitsuru frowned, shrugging.

"It's mostly a reconnaissance mission, but it's a dangerous situation if we find out who's been kidnapping all the children, and killing most of them. Others still haven't been found." He added. Nakusu frowned some more.

"I see… And the area of the investigation also includes the spot where Haruke was last scented… I suppose that is why you are so eager?" He asked, glancing up at Mitsuru, who stiffened for a moment then gave a short nod. Shisui looked at him with a small, sad pout.

"Mitsuru-"

"I'm fine," Mitsuru interrupted firmly, then waved a hand to gesture out the door, "We have to get to work. We still need to get Sayuri and Kotori-sensei."

"Understood." Nakusu nodded, then glanced at Shisui before shooting out the door with Mitsuru on his tail. Shisui watched them go uneasily, mumbling under his breath.

"Be careful…"

**Next Day. Mission Begins.**

"So, this is the mission?" Kotori asked, her green eyes sweeping across the files curiously as she frowned in concentration. Mitsuru nodded, folding his arms over his chest.

"Yea. It requires some recon work as well as basic snooping… Apparently some kids were kidnapped." He added with a frown, watching as Kotori handed the file to Sayuri, who cocked a brow. His eyes locked on Sayuri as she held the files. Her dark eyes shifted across the page while her short and choppy silver hair hung to the nape of her neck, although, two longer locks touched her shoulders, curving in while a few strands were braided, two on the right, three on the left with beads swirled in.

She wore a dark purple, off the shoulder top with no sleeves that ended under her chest with a buckle attached to a deep purple slim cloth that reached diagonally along her stomach to her left hip, coming to the bottom of the dark purple shirt. She wore black shorts to her thigh with a very light brown skirt to her knees, a slid in the left side while heeled boots went to her knees, sleeveless black gloves with metal plates on the back with the Konoha symbol engraved on them. A tanto was placed horizontally above her rear.

Mitsuru tried not to stare too long, averting his eyes as he thoughtlessly moved his hand over his weapons pouch. He wanted to take out Sayuri's picture, but he forced himself to fold his arms again, looking up at Sayuri's eyes locked with his.

"Are you really ready for this?" She asked, frowning a bit curiously. Mitsuru blinked, then huffed.

"I'm fine! You guys look at me like Haruke's leaving should be my problem," He muttered, then rolled his eyes, jabbing his thumb to the village a few miles behind, "It's my parents' problem."

"Cold." Sayuri stated with a snort, thrusting the files at him. Mitsuru stuck out his tongue, making Sayuri twitch and clench a fist, ready to bury it in his face, but Kotori patted her shoulder.

"Come on, we need to get along on this mission… Mitsuru's just trying to stay focused."

"Hmph." Sayuri responded huffily, turning on her heel to face the other way. Kotori sighed, then looked at Mitsuru as she placed a hand on her hip, holding out the other to take the file.

"All right. According to the file, Nakusu's the one in charge since he's at the highest rank at the moment. Not to mention, he calls smart shots." She added. Nakusu looked up after staring off really into nothing before he nodded, looking the other way.

"Sure… Of course, I rather have the assistance of someone more experienced than myself as I was only recently promoted to lieutenant Anbu rank." He replied, gesturing to Kotori, who nodded with a bit of a smirk.

"Don't know how you're Sasuke's son, lacking all that cocky attitude." She commented with a chuckle, getting elbowed by her daughter, who huffed. Nakusu nodded as they turned away from the direction of the village, shooting off up ahead.

The speed led them quickly to the border where the village from the report was sitting nestled in a lovely forested area on a river where a large bridge went over in an arch.

The village was quiet and most of the people in the streets were nicely dressed, even the children that giggled softly amongst each other, others clinging to their mothers' expensive looking kimonos.

"This place is fancy." Mitsuru whistled, wincing as Sayuri gave him a little shove, rolling her eyes, but still smirking before her eyes landed on a kimono sitting in a shop window.

"Woww, that thing is amazing! It's got to have at least a hundred pieces to it! And the price is extreme!" She exclaimed, peering inside the window before pulling away to see a little toy shop nearby. She hurried over.

"Sayuri!" Mitsuru cried and looked at Nakusu and Kotori, who both sighed and nodded, although, Kotori gave him a finger wag as a warning. Mitsuru bolted after his teammate as she vanished into the toy shop. He hurried inside, hearing the bell behind him jingle happily. He jumped, glancing up at it with a frown before turning to see the shop, his jaw dropping.

Millions and millions of toys littered the beautiful, sweet smelling shop. Shelves upon shelves were decorated with fluff and glitter, dolls and plush toys sitting a top and smiling downwards toward the customers. The larger toys sat along the bottom, against the walls or playhouses. The prices were obviously expensive, but Sayuri was busy admiring them to even care, her hands clasped.

"Look at these things! They're made so perfectly…" She murmured, touching the silk on a cosplay kimono. Mitsuru cocked his head a little to peer over her shoulder, pointing a finger toward it.

"I wish they had those things at the village, then I wouldn't even want to be a ninja." He pointed out with a pout. Sayuri smirked, knocking his hand away before looking toward the register, her eyes lighting up.

"Look! Candy!"

"Sayuri, we have a mission-"

"In a second, damn it! Yeesh, you're so impatient." Sayuri drawled and walked up to the register, reaching out to pick up a crystal candy stick when she heard a bell. She looked up, ignoring Mitsuru who bumped into her slightly. They both looked toward the door behind the register, eyes widening.

The man stepping from behind the door was in about his mid-thirties with deep, dark navy blue hair that was tied in a high-up ponytail with a long, black ribbon, left in a bow while his eyes were a piercing gold, very shiny. A deep scar ran across his face, from the right corner of his forehead to the left corner of his jaw. Black dots, going from big to small, started at the corner of both his eyes going toward the middle. He wore a black kimono-like top with navy trims, a black hakama taking up the rest of his outfit while a black obi went around his waist with numerous trinkets hanging from it, ranging from lockets to silver and gold bells.

"Hello," He greeted warmly, bringing his sleeves together giving a short bow as he approached the register, "My name is Fujikawa Ryuji and I am the owner of this shop."

"Oh, hey," Mitsuru mumbled as Sayuri blinked a bit, tilting her head, "We're just looking around, we can't afford these things…" His voice trailed as Ryuji held up a finger, reaching out toward his register, taking a necklace from it. Sayuri's jaw dropped and Mitsuru stared in surprise.

The necklace was made of pure Ketsuekigakure silver chain links that led to matching oval with swirled designs on the outside, a ruby that was somehow shaped like a human heart. As grotesque as most may find it, the item glowed flawlessly and seemed to draw both Mitsuru and Sayuri in. Ryuji smiled, cocking his head.

"It's made of pure silver and ruby, no false items. If you'd like to check for any flaws, you may in the back as we have our own scope as well as the files of purchase… It's about 38,000 ryo, plus a tax fee of 16." He explained. Mitsuru cringed at the price.

"Yea, I can tell it's real by the price." He muttered, then blinked as Sayuri cupped the necklace in her hand, studying it.

"Wow, this thing is awesome! Everything about it!" She exclaimed. Mitsuru waited a second, then looked at Ryuji who was watching her just as closely. Mitsuru frowned a bit, shifting uncomfortably.

"Uhm… Is there anyway you can lower the price a bit?" He asked. Ryuji blinked, then looked at him for a moment rather thoughtfully. Sayuri snapped back to attention, staring at him.

"What? Mitsuru-" The sound of the store bell went off, making them look toward the store as Nakusu and Kotori walked in.

"Aren't you guys a little old for toys?" Kotori asked with a smirk, cocking a brow as she scanned the walls.

"We are on a mission, not a toy hunt." Nakusu scolded, putting a hand on his hip and rolling his eye. Mitsuru rolled his eyes, then looked back at Ryuji, who was now staring straight at Nakusu with wide eyes. Almost in the same fashion Sayuri had been staring at the necklace. Ryuji blinked, then smiled at Mitsuru, patting his hand on the register.

"No… It's fine, young man… You may take the necklace for free." He said. Mitsuru's jaw dropped. Sayuri choked on her breath, almost dropping the precious necklace if Mitsuru hadn't of caught it.

"What necklace?" Kotori asked curiously, peering over her daughter's shoulder before her own eyes widened in shock.

"A-Are you sure?" Mitsuru managed. Ryuji nodded.

"Yes… Really, take it. I much rather see you and your girlfriend happy." He answered, his eyes seeming to almost glow. Mitsuru blushed red and went to correct the man, but Sayuri cut him off, patting his hand with the necklace.

"Help me put it on!" She blurted with a smile, her cheeks dusted a light pink. Mitsuru blinked, then nodded. Nervously, he walked around behind Sayuri and unclasped the necklace, easily putting it around her neck. Kotori folded her arms over her chest, then smiled slowly at the sight.

"Awww, that necklace is beautiful, Sayuri!" She exclaimed, peering at the thing. Mitsuru stared at Sayuri for a moment, his cheeks still colored a deep red before something caught him out the corner of his eye. Ryuji was staring at Nakusu again, who was folding his arms over his chest a bit irritably.

"Uh, thanks for the necklace." Mitsuru stated, turning to Ryuji, who blinked and looked at him before smiling warmly.

"Of course, your very welcome, sir. May you and your girlfriend find happiness." He replied, making Mitsuru twitch and want to correct him, but Nakusu cut him off, waving a hand near his face, but not too close. As Nakusu still had the jitters getting close to someone.

"Come, we are wasting time here. We must meet with the mayor of the town to further our investigation, or were you too busy flirting?" He demanded impatiently. Mitsuru turned redder than before, twitching in embarrassment.

"Shut up, Nakusu!" He snapped. Nakusu rolled his eye and they went to leave, but Ryuji reached out and grabbed Nakusu's sleeve. As expected, Nakusu emitted a very unmanly squeak and leapt out of the reach, grasping his sleeve and staring at Ryuji, who blinked in surprise. Mitsuru frowned at him.

"Sorry, Nakusu's a freak. He doesn't like people touching him." He apologized. Nakusu scowled at him. Ryuji bowed at the waist a couple times.

"I apologize. I didn't know… But, may I please ask your age?" He questioned curiously, leaning his face in a bit close. Nakusu crinkled his nose in distaste, still holding onto the spot on his arm where he was touched.

"Excuse me?" He asked. Ryuji blinked, then seemed to blush lightly, averting his eyes as he brought his heavy sleeves together."You… Well, it's just that you look a lot like my son did, maybe around the same age… I'm sorry, but every time I see someone remotely similar, I just…" He seemed unable to find the right words and was blusher more and more in shame. Nakusu blinked. Mitsuru shifted uncomfortably as Sayuri and Kotori shared looks.

"Your son?" Nakusu asked, getting a dirty look from both Sayuri and Mitsuru. Ryuji smiled a bit weakly, glancing out one of the colorful windows toward the river.

"My son, his name was Rei. He was about your age when he drowned in the Red River…" He murmured. Nakusu averted his eyes, reaching up to hide his mouth a bit with the long sleeve of his shirt.

"I am sorry."

"It's fine, you didn't know and I imposed on your personal space." Ryuji replied quietly, bowing once again in apology. Mitsuru waved his hand.

"It's all right, like you said, you didn't know. We'll be leaving now." He said calmly, turning around to leave. Ryuji nodded, but his eyes followed Nakusu all the way out the door.

"That was fishy." Kotori stated. Sayuri scowled as she fingered the necklace around her neck.

"Mom, don't be like that!" She scolded, but Kotori shrugged in response. Nakusu averted his eyes.

"It was odd, I agree… Let us try not to visit anymore weird shops." He muttered.

"I thought it was pretty cool." Sayuri puffed out a cheek rather comically, getting a smirk from Mitsuru and a laugh out of her mother. Nakusu glanced over his shoulder at the shop behind them, his eye narrowing in suspicion as the lights inside the toy shop went out completely, even the toys in the front window seemed to shut off.

_I have a bad feeling about this…_

**Konohagakure**

"You what?" Sasuke demanded angrily, his fists clenched and having slammed on Naruto's desk. Naruto twitched as he sat back in his chair, his feet thrown up on the desk as a pocket stick hung out his mouth. He crunched down on it before removing it.

"Calm down, Sasuke, don't get your panties in a bunch. It's not that big a mission anyway, just to distract them while we work on getting Haruke back." He replied, swinging his feet off his desk and standing up as he grabbed another pocket from the box, but Sasuke grabbed it, crushing it in his fist as he glared at Naruto.

"Are you stupid? You sent my son and nephew on a mission to investigate some kind-kind of pedophile?" He yelled, tossing the pocky aside. Naruto blinked, then scowled at him.

"Not a pedophile, bastard! Just some freak who MIGHT just be connected to Haruke's little business! You don't have to scream either! Kotori's with them and I know her pretty well! She'd kill anyone who'd try and touch them!"

"Ugh! You're unbelievable! And to think I actually rooted for you as Hokage!"

"Oh, kiss my ass, Sasuke!"

"I rather choke on shit, loser!"

"GOOD!"

"You're so immature." Sasuke muttered, whipping around and heading to the door, making Naruto twitch and glare after him.

"And where are you going?"

"To catch up with Nakusu's group! If I'm lucky enough, they haven't actually done any research!" With that, Sasuke was out of the room and shooting off out of the village.

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**A/N: 8P lol, yea, I kinda rushed again, but I'm excited because I'm flowing with ideas. This actually might count as **_**somewhat**_** of a filler chapter, I guess… Well, filler mission kinda thing :'D But it's kinda connected to the actual plotline, just wait and read! Well, I think that's about it… Thanks very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	28. Chapter 28

**UPDATE WOO!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own as well as the entire Fujiwara Family O:!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty-Eight: **It's a Small World. Kidnapping!**

_Tick, tick… Tick, tick…_ The sound of the pendulum clock was the only sound in the old fashioned Japanese-style mansion made of easily see-through walls. Kotori, Sayuri, Mitsuru, and Nakusu merely sat silently as they awaited the mayor of this small river village. Overhead, thunder rumbled and rain pitter-pattered on the roof, followed by rushing water through the pipes.

Soon, the sliding door across the small desk set low on the floor opened to reveal a rather old and withered man. He was hunched over slightly, wearing a long and very elaborate samurai style kimono. His hair was as white as snow, tied up in a bun with a gold hair piece matching a pair of piercing eyes that almost reminded Nakusu of the toy shop owner. Nakusu frowned a bit, narrowing his eye in suspicion as the man came over, taking a seat with two young male bodyguards.

Very young male bodyguards, younger than the shinobi that were sitting before them.

"Greetings, Konohagakure shinobi," The old man greeted with a warm smile, lifting his head up high, "I am Fujiwara Kyoto. Welcome to my village of Rou. We focus on mostly tourism and building tools, selling objects of interest to many other villages. Somewhat like a trading post…. Unfortunately, we've encountered a very… Queer problem as of late dealing with the large population of children in our village."

"Problem?" Mitsuru asked curiously, cocking his head. Nakusu merely glanced at him sideways before looking back at the old man who sighed, taking a file from one of the body guards, opening it up and tossing out almost a dozen or more files with children's photos.

"These children have all been kidnapped and there is no trace of them anywhere, it's almost as if they have completely vanished. They're all within the age range of thirteen to sixteen. We don't even know if they're dead, but they're parents are a flurry with rage and grief. We called upon your help to find these children, save them, and arrest the person doing all this horrendous things." He concluded, looking up. Kotori frowned, pinching her chin between her thumb and forefinger.

"Between the ages of thirteen and sixteen? From the looks of it, they're equal of boys and girls too… I can't believe Naruto sent us on this mission if he sent three kids!" She added with a snort, folding her arms over her chest tightly. Sayuri and Mitsuru both flinched and glared at her.

"We're not kids! And you heard him, the ages are thirteen and sixteen!" Sayuri snapped in annoyance, then rolled her eyes as Mitsuru grumbled. Nakusu merely frowned, keeping his hands on his knees, though, they were covered by the abnormally long sleeves of his shirt.

"There may be no limit depending on the child. There must be something in common with them and if not, you have called us merely to catch some kind of pedophile." He drawled casually, picking up some of the files as he handed some down. Kotori glanced at Nakusu, then back down at the file in her hand. Her eyes narrowed curiously as her eyes scanned the young boy's profile and photo. He was definitely Nakusu's age with silky dark hair brushed loosely over his face and touching his shoulders, matching a pair of almost hidden gray eyes that stared up at her with a puppy dog look.

She felt a tug at her heart, making her grip the files tighter in pain. She set the file down quickly before the feeling overwhelmed her. She looked at Nakusu and wasn't all that surprised as he looked up, almost emotionlessly.

"From the looks of it, they were all from rich families as well. There's also no personalities list here, so it is hard to tell from the lack of details. Is it possible to get in contact with the parents?" Nakusu asked. Mayor Kyoto blinked, then nodded slowly.

"Yes. They all live in town in the condos. You may take the files with you as they have the addresses. If you get any information, please inform me immediately." He said, nodding his head and receiving several nods in return. The shinobi rose to their feet, filing out, although, Nakusu paused to glance over his shoulder at the old man.

"Excuse me, Mayor Fujiwara?" Nakusu questioned. The old man looked up, then smiled almost nostalgically as he hunched over, peering at the Anbu member.

"Call me Kyoto, young sir."

"Your surname… Is Fujiwara. By any chance are you related to the Fujiwara man who runs the toy shop in town?"

"Hm? Ah, yes… My grandson. A good boy he is, but it's a tragedy that he's shut himself in. He was such a happy man, but he suddenly began to change… Mostly after his brother visited with Ryuji's nephew, Tsukiya. It always made me wonder…" The old man sighed, shaking his head. Nakusu frowned, folding his arms over his chest.

"He told us his son drowned in the Red River…." His voice trailed as he saw the old man's face twist in confusion.

"Eh? Oh, no. Ryuji has never had a son. His late wife was infertile much to our disappointment…"

**In Town, Sometime Later…**

"All right," Kotori decided as they stepped onto the now more crowded streets of Rou, "It'll probably be easier if we split up, as much as I hate to say it, but if we want to get it done, we'll just split into groups of two-"

"Two," Nakusu stated with a cocked brow, looking a bit annoyed, "It would be easier if we all went off on our own. It would save time and effort as well. We will send one person off to the north, east, west, and south of the villages and meet back here." Kotori grimaced a little, shifting from foot to foot.

"I don't know about this, Nakusu. I really rather not have Sayuri-"

"Then Sayuri may go with you or with Mitsuru, but I prefer to work alone," Nakusu shrugged as he got a sort of parental glare from the woman, "I will get it done much faster and I will meet you here for dinner. We will then seek out a hotel and gather up all the information we have got. This is mostly a recon mission and there did not seem much warning of possible physical dangers until we actually find the mad man doing the kidnappings."

"Or murders." Mitsuru blurted, then blushed as Sayuri glared at him, giving him a jab in the ribs. Kotori flinched, then opened her mouth, but Nakusu had already turned around, shooting off with the files in hand. She rolled her eyes as she glance toward Sayuri and Mitsuru.

"Forget what I said, he's just like his daddy." She snorted. Sayuri smirked as Mitsuru merely huffed, opening the file folder, then stopping to stare.

"Hey… Hey, you guys better look at this." He managed, pointing.

"What's wrong?" Sayuri asked, peering over his shoulder, then her jaw dropped and her hand flew to the necklace around her neck, almost on the verge of ripping it off. Kotori frowned and looked over at the profile, her eyes widening as her face paled.

The boy in the photograph was definitely Nakusu's age with the same navy hair all disheveled, only slightly longer and both his eyes were intact and a very powerful bright green. He was all smiles for the camera, beaming as he clasped his hands around a man's hands in the photo. The boy in the photo was wearing a familiar necklace with the red human heart craft. The name was in bold print:

**FUJIWARA TSUKIYA**

"He looks… Almost exactly like Nakusu!" Sayuri exclaimed at last. Kotori took the file, her eyes flying over the words as Mitsuru and Sayuri shared looks.

"Do you think he's that toy shop owner's son?" Mitsuru asked, confused, but Kotori shook her head.

"No, it says here that his father's name is Fujiwara Reiyo… But! That toy shop owner's name is right neck to the boy's father's name… His uncle. Not his son."

"That's not right." Mitsuru rubbed the heel of his palm to his forehead in confusion as Sayuri merely rolled her eyes at him, turning to look at her mother with a deep frown.

"What does that mean then?" She asked. Kotori scanned the page some more, then looked up.

"It means we need to have a conversation with both Fujiwara brothers to find out what the truth really is," She stated, then turned to them, "All right… Sayuri is coming with me to talk to Reiyo while Mitsuru goes to chat with Ryuji. No arguments, now let's go!"

"Yes, ma'am." Mitsuru mused, getting smacked upside the head before he shot off with a groan about violent women."And you like him." Kotori huffed, shaking her head. Sayuri's face lit up like a red Christmas light bulb.

"I never said that!"

"You did."

"Did not! MOM, you're so embarrassing!"

"I'm so honest is what I am, now come on. We have a pedophile to catch."

"Way to sound heroic." Sayuri retorted, shooting off. Kotori sighed, but shot after her hurriedly.

**North Side of Rou**

Nakusu looked down at the file, frowning as he walked down the street thoughtfully after having another door slammed shut. The parents of one young girl refused to speak, only saying that their daughter was brilliant and playful… But most of the parents claimed they hardly knew a thing of their child.

_How irritating! What sort of parent pays their child no mind? Are they blinded by all the wealth here that the children are merely here to carry on their pathetic linage? It is utterly insane. If you do not want children to spend time with, have none at all, I say…_ He thought, irritated as he headed to another home. He looked up at the old rickety black jagged gates of the mansion sitting just outside the village limits, basically almost in the river.

He walked up the path, approaching the looming doors. He frowned and knocked first, being greeted by a servant who told him to wait a moment. His eyes were scanning the sides of the doors and he knew he had to be cautious now. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as if someone was behind him, but a quick head check told him he was alone in the doorway.

He looked up as a woman in her thirties approached the door with red-rimmed gold eyes and ocean blue hair tied up in a curly bun, her kimono drenched in river water.

"What? What do you wan- You…" She whispered. Nakusu stiffened slightly as the woman reached her hand out toward him shakily. Her eyes welled up once again.

"T-Tsukiya!" She cried, reaching out, but a pair of hands caught hers and tore them away. The woman screamed immediately as a man stepped in front of her, shoving her back almost violently.

"Kia! That is enough! Retreat immediately or I will have you sedated!" He snarled almost viciously, making Nakusu cringe. The woman wailed, pointing a finger frantically at Nakusu, who grimaced as the servants rushed to escort the woman out.

"NO! He is my son! He's my son! Tsukiya! He's back!" She shrieked, clawing and racking her nails at the servant's faces before the man whipped around and shut the door behind him after stepping out. Nakusu immediately jumped back as the man had by far passed the one foot proximity limit.

"Uh, my apologizes for causing such a ruckus." He murmured, feeling a little embarrassed as his cheeks colored. The man, tall and dark haired with gold eyes, stared at him, then blinked.

"By the gods, you do resemble him…" His voice trailed. Nakusu frowned."Tsukiya… That was his mother?" He asked. The man nodded with a wistful sigh, his eyes drifting off to the side. A very odd smile spread across his lips.

"Ah, yes… Beautiful, she is, but after her son was kidnapped, she's been a wreck. She refuses to let even her husband speak with her. She's hardly spoken a word until now, but you truly do resemble the young lord Tsukiya."

"And you are…?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm Hideo. I'm the household butler. I do apologize for milady's antics… You wear a headband, you must be a shinobi. So young." He mused, tilting his head. Nakusu frowned."Ah, yes. I was summoned to investigate the kidnapping of the children. What do you know about Tsukiya?" He asked. Hideo blinked, then shifted a little with a crooked frown.

"Tsukiya? Well… He was usually pretty happy, he always smiled, around me and his uncle at least. His parents sort of pushed him out of the picture after they invested in a large shipping company. Tsukiya moved onto making more friends. He may have seemed happy, but I think the lack of love from his parents was what caused him to become a bit reckless… It led to his kidnapping, I'm sure of it. I last saw him playing on the docks. According to the children with him, a man dressed in a black cloak approached them and took Tsukiya away without a word." He explained thoughtfully. Nakusu frowned, looking down at the file.

He studied them closely and the notes he took. Most of the stories were like that, parents rejecting their children for money. How obnoxious, Nakusu noted as he scribbled something down. He let the information play out in his head.

A dozen children kidnapped, all ignored by their parents. Ryuji lies about his son drowning and never mentions an infertile spouse, but he seems to think Tsukiya was his son… Or maybe he meant his nephew, but since he spent so much time with Tsukiya, he called him a son.

"What happened to your eye?" Hideo asked suddenly. Nakusu jerked his head up, frowning deeply.

"Nothing. Is there any possibility that I may speak to his parents? Or maybe his friends?" He asked. Hideo blinked, then cocked a brow the corner of his mouth twitching into a taunting smile.

"Not his parents, never. They're much too busy… Only the mother grieves… And Tsukiya's friends were also kidnapped." He answered. Nakusu frowned, averting his eye thoughtfully, but he was snapped out of his thoughts as Hideo reached up with a finger, pushing Nakusu's headband up and ready to reveal what was underneath if Nakusu hadn't of immediately leapt back."Do not touch me." Nakusu commanded stiffly, adjusting his headband back. Hideo shrugged before smiling lightly.

"Sorry… I'm too curious sometimes… Anyway, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Uchiha Nakusu." He bowed at the waist before turning and swiftly entering the mansion again. Nakusu sighed and turned, but immediately stopped.

_How did he-_

_CRACK_

**Toy Shop, West**

Kotori approached the front door of the toy shop, frowning as she peered inside. Sayuri came up beside her to press her face on the window, looking around before pushing away, glancing up and down the streets.

"He's not there. It's closed." She muttered, putting a fist on the window and another on her hip. Kotori nodded, pushing away from the door and turning her back to it. Her eyes drifted up and down the streets before her eyes landed on an alleyway that led between the toy shop and the clothing shop next door. She looked at Sayuri, who followed her gaze, then nodded. The kunoichi walked into the alley and found the back door to the toy shop partially opened.

Kotori held a finger to her lips, making Sayuri roll her eyes, but nod as they crept closer, both taking up a position on either side of the door with weapons in hand. Kotori looked at Sayuri for a moment, then swung herself in the doorway, kunai held up, but it lowered slowly as her eyes widened before narrowing in disgust.

"Shit…" She muttered. Sayuri blinked and followed her mother, then yelped, covering her nose and mouth.

"Ugh!" She exclaimed. The corpse of Fujiwara Ryuji was mangled and beaten to nothing, but a lump of blood, flesh, and bones, not even his clothes there. Blood was splattered all over the toys in the back room as a snow globe sat on the desk where Ryuji must have been sitting. A song gently played from it as the little boy and girl inside the globe held hands, swinging round and round a fire.

"Sayuri," Kotori commanded calmly, trying not to be sick, "Look through the desk drawers for anything that might help us find the children and the murderer… I'll cover the body."

"Got it." Sayuri nodded and walked over to the desk, listening to the sound of her mother rummaging for a tarp or blanket. Sayuri sighed as she flipped through business files in annoyance, opening and closing drawers until her eyes landed on a particular file, her face paling."Hey… Hey, mom… You have to look at this. All of this." She managed, taking out the files as she shut the door. Kotori frowned as she looked up from covering the body with a child's blanket. She walked over and looked down, her eyes widening.

A photograph of Ryuji, a lovely ocean-haired woman, and a boy very much resembling Nakusu (Tsukiya) standing in the photo with smiles painted onto their faces happily.

Underneath were a couple adoption papers signed with Ryuji's name as well as his brother's and grandfather's.

Kotori skimmed through them quickly, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Judging from these, Tsukiya was adopted by his uncle, Reiyo, by orders of their grandfather, Mayor Fujiwara Kyoto… In fact, there's a note here that Ryuji's wife, Kia, also fled from him to live with Reiyo. Sounds like shitty luck… But, this says Tsukiya is still alive, which means Ryuji probably just assumed since he was kidnapped." She explained slowly. Sayuri crinkled her nose up.

"Some confidence he had," She snorted, getting a scold from her mother before frowning, "But that's so weird… Ryuji seemed like a fatherly kinda guy. Does that make Reiyo the bad guy?"

"I don't know… All this information is jumbled and out of order, not to mention, written in a weird fashion so it makes things even more confusing… It's so annoying, but we should find Mitsuru and Nakusu to tell them." Kotori stated, turning to go. Sayuri nodded and went to close the drawer, but her eyes landed on a file that was sitting near a paper shredder.

She reached out and picked it up, her eyes widening at the order form.

"Mom…"

"What now?"

"This file… It says… Uchiha Haruke's been ordering materials from him for the last two years."

"WHAT?"

**Center Rou**

Mitsuru landed with a _tak_, frowning as he folded his arms over his chest. The house he'd visited had been abandoned for some time and it annoyed him. He looked up as he saw Kotori and Sayuri racing toward him at full speed.

"Mitsuru! Mitsuru, check this out! You're gonna love this!" Sayuri yelled, waving the order form files around. Kotori blinked, then reached out, snatching the files from her quickly."Hey, what was-"

"Not yet," Kotori commanded quietly, "Don't tell him yet. If you do that, he won't focus on the mission and he'll be out of here faster than you can say 'oops'."

"But, mom-"

"Just do what I say, Sayuri. If you don't want to hurt him, keep the information to yourself." Kotori ordered. Sayuri looked at her, her expression a bit hurt and confused, but she nodded at last as they approached. Kotori then handed Mitsuru the files of the Fujiwara family. Mitsuru scanned over it before his jaw dropped and he looked up.

"This is amazing, how did you find all this?" He exclaimed. Sayuri frowned a bit, folding her arms over her chest tightly and shuddering a bit as she stuck out her tongue, jabbing a thumb behind her.

"We found ol' Ryuji slaughtered at the toy shop. We alerted the authorities in the area, but whoever's kidnapping the children had to of killed Ryuji because of something he was about to do, something that was going to put a hole in their plans." She explained, making Mitsuru nod slowly. Kotori frowned before her eyes widened slightly and she glanced around quickly.

"Where's Nakusu?" She demanded. Mitsuru blinked, then looked up.

"I… Don't know. He wasn't here when I showed up and you guys are as late as it is…"

"You don't think…." Sayuri's voice trailed as she looked at Kotori's expression as it became paler and paler.

"We need to find him _right now_."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/B: A bit short, but oh well :D DRAMA! Ah, sorry if the mission is kind of confusing, but it'll make sense in the end… o-o I feel like it was explained weird, lol xD! Oh well. Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoyed it, and I hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are the greatest things ever to receive :D!**


	29. Chapter 29

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own as well as the entire Fujiwara Family O:!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Twenty-Nine: **So He's Really Creepy… The Diary of Nightmares!**

_Drip… Drip…_

Nakusu grimaced, feeling a migraine flood through his head, making him never want to open his eye again, but he knew he had to if he wanted to find out what was going on. He forced his eye open and found himself staring at something straight out of a horror film.

A hot stream of boiling lava could be seen past long, thick iron bars of… Something, a cage maybe?

Nakusu shifted, wincing as his bones cracked and his body felt stiff. He sat up from his sprawled position on the bottom of the cage, lifting his head. He eyed a catwalk hanging over the river of bubbling hot magma with curiosity, seeing a shadow move before he heard a groan from somewhere else. He jerked his head in the direction, wincing in pain as his neck seemed to crack.

He could hardly tell where the groan had come from until he saw someone huddled in the corner of the cage he was in. The boy wore a torn old gray yukata… Or maybe it had once been white. His white hair hung to his shoulders in some places, others were short and loose flying. His eyes were a deep brown, maybe black. He looked up, frowning at the sight of Nakusu before his eyes widened.

"Your headband." He stated, his voice cracking. Nakusu blinked and reached up to his headband, then looked at the boy as he managed to sit upright.

"My name is Uchiha Nakusu… What is your name?" He asked calmly. The boy shifted a little, lifting a thin arm to grab onto a bar. He seemed to pull himself into straight sitting position, but he winced all the while. Nakusu himself winced, but mostly at the sight of the ribs that were clearly visible in his torso.

"I'm Owari Hyota… You're a shinobi."

"Yes. I need to know where we are. Do you have any idea?"

"Any idea," Hyota snorted, then looked at the bubbling pit of lava, shuddering, "I'd like to know myself… I'm not even from this psychotic village."

"You are not?" Nakusu asked, perplexed. Hyota shook his head and his expression seemed to darken, like a storm cloud passing across his pale skin.

"I'm from Yukigakure. I'm a prince."

"A prince?" Nakusu almost gagged on the term in shock. The boy definitely looked nothing like a prince. Of course, it was probably because of the grim, the sweat, the filth that covered him. Looking closely, you could faintly see the sign of royalty. His pale skin, snow white hair, and black eyes. His dirtied yukata must have been pure white at one point, like the very snow that covered his homeland. Nakusu grimaced, leaning back a bit against a bar.

"I see… Then how did you come to be here?"

"We were passing through, my guards and I. I was supposed to come here for a vacation or something silly like that, but we were ambushed… Some filthy old man by the looks of him. He looked to me like some kind of lonely old hermit in search of some disgusting hobbies."

"Old man? What was his name?" Nakusu demanded, glaring now. Hyota stiffened, pressing himself closer to the bars as if Nakusu's sudden interest frightened him. He stared at Nakusu cautiously before speaking.

"Kyoto. Fujiwara Kyoto. I think he's the mayor of this place." He managed. Nakusu flinched, then cursed under his breath, looking the other way. Why hadn't he seen it in the first place?

"Damn it," He spat in annoyance and shut his eye, "I should have taken someone with me, else I would have not been trapped in here."

"Sorry to sound so rude," Hyota admitted, "But I'm glad you're here. Everyone else I shared this cell with is gone."

"Everyone else? Gone? What are you talking about?" Nakusu asked. Hyota frowned, folding his thin arms over his chest tightly, shivering a bit.

"This thing only looks big enough to hold two people, eh? Nah, when I got here, there were seven others… Misa, Ra, Iwato, Tsukiya-"

"Tsukiya was here?" Nakusu demanded. Hyota nodded.

"Yea. He was the one trying to keep everyone calm. Kyoto came in here every day, taking someone out. They never came back. One by one they were taken away. We began to think that Kyoto was doing something really cruel to them before just killing them… If you catch my drift."

"That is disgusting."

"I'll say. Anyway, they just disappeared. Last one died yesterday and I'm the only one left. I didn't want to die alone." Hyota replied with a light smile. Nakusu stared at him for a long time before he rose to his feet.

"You are not going to die at all. We will get out of here. He made the mistake of catching an Anbu Black Ops from Konohagakure." He stated. Hyota blinked and stared at him in surprise as Nakusu glanced around the cell, his eye scanning the catwalk and the other surroundings.

"Black Ops? An Elite ninja? But, you look so young…"

"Sixteen…"

"You must be a prodigy! That's amazing!" Hyota exclaimed eagerly. Nakusu glanced at him, with a weak smile.

"Yes…. Prodigy…" He looked back at the bars, scaling them. He could definitely try using a fireball jutsu to melt the bars. They could sneak out and find a way onto the catwalk… Stairs. Nakusu scanned for a staircase, but only found chains dangling nearby.

_Those will have to do_. He thought with a nod. Climbing up the chains onto the catwalk and finding the nearest exit. Any encounters with guards could be easily put back by fireball jutsu until they could find an exit. Not to mention, Kotori, Sayuri, and Mitsuru were bound to be searching high and low for him when they realized he hadn't shown up for their meeting spot.

Nakusu waited a while, scanning the plan for any big flaws when he felt Hyota staring at him. He glanced over.

"What?" He asked. Hyota stiffened a bit, then shifted.

"Nothing… But, I'm rather curious. What happened to your eye?"

"Battle." Nakusu responded curtly and that was the end of that conversation as Hyota merely puffed out one of his cheeks in a pout. Nakusu leaned back away from the bars, pulling Hyota with him.

"All right," He stated, "Keep back and cover your face. I am going to get us out of here."

With that being said, Nakusu made a hand sign and flames shot at the bars. The iron turned to liquid and hit the ground in thick gunky forms. Nakusu darted forward, ignoring the hissing melted bars that touched through his clothes, turning right through and blistering his skin. He assisted Hyota, who winced a little at the burns.

"Come on. We need to hurry and be silent." Nakusu commanded. Hyota nodded eagerly and hurried after Nakusu as they moved past the bubbling hot lava toward the dangling chains. Hyota cringed at the sight of them.

"Uhm… Are you sure we should be doing this? Those things look unstable-"

"You go first. If you call, I will catch you."

"How can I trust you?"

"I am a shinobi of Konohagakure. It is my job." Nakusu answered sternly. Hyota stared at him for a while, then nodded slowly. Nakusu grimaced a little as Hyota used his shoulder to grab onto the nearest chain. A little voice in Nakusu's head shrieked wildly at being touched, especially by someone like this. However, he managed to keep his cool as he watched Hyota struggling up the chain, using another to keep balanced.

As Hyota seemed to find an edge onto the catwalk, Nakusu jumped up and caught the chains. He pulled himself up, inching along before he climbed over the edge with Hyota, who seemed to squeak in surprise. Nakusu whipped around as he heard a chuckle.

Kyoto stood there with his young bodyguards, one looking rather flushed and embarrassed while the other seemed rather ashamed. Nakusu frowned, inwardly flinching as Hyota grabbed his shirt sleeve.

"Ah," Kyoto mused, like a kind old man as he gestured a hand to them, "Uchiha, it seems you've assisted my last child… You're so kind to bring him closer to the alter."

"Alter?" Nakusu demanded. Hyota squeaked again and hid behind the Anbu, who continued to glare at Kyoto. The old man chortled before coughing slightly, then gesturing to his bodyguards.

"Yes, the alter. These two have just experienced such an alter… That boy there, Prince Hyota, is the next one to be killed for being such a rotten child."

"I'm not rotten!" Hyota protested, but one look from the creepy old man made him shut his mouth and grip Nakusu's shirt tighter. Nakusu frowned.

"What exactly are you doing? You called us to come here and catch the one kidnapping the children and it was you all along."

"Of course… I love children, but what makes me so angry is that they grow up. Much too fast for my pleasure," He stopped to chuckle, making Nakusu sick to his stomach as Hyota managed a small whimper, "So, once they become too old, I take them to the alter where they are killed and are eventually reborn. I've come to realize that there are just not enough children in this village, so I went searching through a file of children within the perfect age range and who did I find, but you? The pride and joy of Konohagakure Police Force, of the Uchiha Clan. Uchiha Nakusu. Of course, the others were unintended. Merely there to be there."

"So you set up this entire ordeal? You wasted the last years of your life." Nakusu muttered dryly. Kyoto scowled a bit, tapping his cane on the catwalk, making it groan and creak.

"Don't be so ignorant, boy… I worked hard on this… And now that I have _you_, my final piece, I will be content. You've become my main objective, looking so much like Tsukiya, my grandson… He was such a good boy. Show me that you can be the same, young Uchiha. I've heard you're a prodigy." He crooned, gesturing a hand out so his wrinkled fingers spread apart. Nakusu glared at him.

"You are sick and disgusting. It is hard to believe you have ever even spawned children with such a demented mind. You are using and killing innocent children for your sick amusement and that is worthy of a painful death." He snapped, tensing up in annoyance and disgust. Kyoto's eyes narrowed sharply as he slowly lowered his hand.

"If you wish to play hard to get, then we shall play it, Uchiha. Tai, Suke, please apprehend the young Uchiha and the prince." He commanded. Both the bodyguards seemed to stiff for a split second before nodding and going to move forward, making Nakusu and Hyota step back, if not for a loud creaking and rocking that stopped everyone.

Nakusu's eye flashed and locked on the railing of the catwalk. Dark purple, almost barbed wire looking vines seemed to curl around the railings. They moved swiftly and seemed to wrap tightly. Kyoto's eyes narrowed and he went to turn, but stopped dead in his tracks as one of the bodyguards bolted forward as if to flee, throwing his spear down.

However, a thick, tightly wound cylinder of vines shot right through the bodyguard's stomach, causing a spray of thick red blood. Nakusu gasped and stumbled back, wiping his face off as Hyota cried out in disgust, still clinging to Nakusu's back. The other bodyguard shrieked immediately, throwing his weapon to the ground. Kyoto glared, moving as fast as a cobra and grabbing the back of the bodyguard's vest.

"You worthless maggot! If you dare run…!" He snarled, but the bodyguard managed to squirm away. Nakusu's eyes widened.

"No, wait-" He didn't finish as the bodyguard backed up into the railing and lost his balance, tumbling over the side with a sharp scream. There was a gunky splash and hissing followed as hot steam rose from the lava stream below. Nakusu felt sick again and covered his mouth on the verge of vomiting when he realized there was still one person left. Kyoto turned slowly to face him and a look of pure insanity glowed in his gold eyes.

"YOU! You've been a bad, bad boy! Killing my bodyguards! You called that monster, didn't you?" He roared. Nakusu stared at him in disbelief.

"Monster…? What are you talking about?" He demanded, but he didn't get an answer. Another blast of vines flung forward with a loud screeching sound at how fast they were moving. Nakusu leapt back, grabbing Hyota, who clung to him and cried out in shock.

The vines blasted forth, ripping through Kyoto's back, his innards, and bursting free from his chest and gut. More blood splattered and Kyoto's eyes widened in horror. Nakusu stared, watching as the old man's body sank to the catwalk.

"My… Boy…" He managed, his trembling, bloodied hand reached out, brushing against Nakusu's pant leg before he fell forward onto his face. Nakusu jerked his head up, watching as the vines retreated, slithering away.

He recognized the shadow that had run across the catwalk moments before their escape, a man by the looks of it. He was tall, at least six foot something, dressed in a thick black cloak with the hood pulled up and hiding whosever face was shadowed. However, very evident symbols were etched into the cloak.

Red clouds, outlined thickly with pure white.

Nakusu's eye widened as Hyota blinked in surprise, obviously wondering who had come to save them. The man stepped up to the back of the old man, heaving him up with a black-gloved hand.

"I hate old guys… All the same." He retorted in a young, masculine tone. He thrust his arm to the side, making Hyota yelp in disbelief and Nakusu wince. The old man's corpse went to join his bodyguard's. The Akatsuki member bent down, grabbing up the other bodyguard, heaving him over the railing. Nakusu winced. A wretched stench began to fill the room as the man turned to face them now.

"You're not going to kill us, are you?" Hyota managed to ask shakily. The man was probably rolling his eyes, his arms folding over his chest.

"Of course not. You're not on my do-to list."

"Then thank you for saving us!" Hyota exclaimed. Nakusu grimaced, then studied the tall man in black.

"Who are you? Your voice…." He could sense something horribly familiar about this man, but what? His voice held a bitterness that could be icy enough to melt the lava below. He was tall and obviously strong if he could heave two bodies.

The man sighed a bit and went to the catwalk, leaning on his elbows on it. He waited a while, as if debating something in his mind before pushing away. He turned to them and reached up to his hood.

"I can't expect you to remember. It's been a while." He admitted and removed his hood. Hyota gasped in shock and Nakusu blinked, his eye widening.

The man had almost shoulder-length slate colored hair, most of it covering his face and the little it didn't was creamy and smooth, save for a stream of vine-like dark purple color that went over his nose, across his face like a scar. His eyes were a piercing lilac, so very pale and cold.

"Kaoru." Nakusu managed.

"Yup. Probably wouldn't have recognized you if that old coot hadn't of said your name a billion times. Last time we met, you had both your eyes." Kaoru pointed out. Nakusu cringed.

"So that happened recently!" Hyota exclaimed. Nakusu finally managed to pull away from him a bit, looking up at Kaoru.

"You have nerve," He began coldly as the memories flew back from their last encounter, "After you tricked us and stole my aunt's diary, you should be ashamed to make appearance." Kaoru stared at him sleepily, then reached into his cloak and Nakusu expected a kunai, only to receive a black leather bound journal.

"Here. It's Ruriko's diary. Lots of shit in there that'll be useful, but you can't look at it. It's only meant for the eyes of the writer. Otherwise, you'll be knocked clean out. I was told to give it back to her." He stated. Nakusu frowned and took the journal, studying its sleek black leather before he pocketed it into his weapons pouch. He looked at Kaoru curiously.

"That is still no excuse."

"I know." Kaoru replied calmly with a light shrug. Nakusu frowned as he stared at Kaoru's sad puppy dog look. He could faintly remember declaring to be Kaoru's first friend. The sad miserable puppy that he'd met had turned out to be just a lapdog to his master… But he could sense a deep concentration of hatred for the master that ruled over this abused mutt.

"Kaoru."

"Hm?"

"Come back with us." Nakusu said at last. Hyota stared at him. Kaoru frowned slightly, then seemed to smile. His expression slowly relaxing as he cocked his head a tad, his cold lilac eyes growing warmer for a moment.

"That sounds great. You have no idea… But I don't think I can deal with your aunt getting pissy on me for betraying you guys. I also have some unfinished business to attend to with old Scarface." He added, glancing behind him as if expecting someone to attack him from behind. Nakusu frowned.

"Kaoru-"

"It was nice seeing you again and take care of that brat," He pointed to Hyota, who pouted a little, "He's a lucky one. Tell Shisui I said hi too. I'll show up again, only I'll make it a better heroic scene, eh? So I don't scare the crap outta you by beating up old, pedophilic murderers and killed molested bodyguards." Nakusu blinked and opened his mouth to speak, but he heard loud crashing and booms from somewhere down the hallway behind him. He glanced behind him with Hyota, who jumped in surprise. He looked back, but Kaoru was gone.

He frowned deeply, but a familiar voice rang in his ears, making him look up in… Well, he didn't know whether to be horrifyingly embarrassed or extremely grateful.

"Nakusu!" Sasuke's voice carried down the hallway at an echo. Nakusu sighed and looked at Hyota, nodding to him. Hyota smiled faintly and followed him down the hallway.

Not moments later did Sasuke come around a corner with Kotori grumbling behind him and Sayuri and Mitsuru muttering curses. Nakusu stiffened as Sasuke got a bit too close, but close enough so he'd remember his son's dislike of close contact.

"Nakusu! My god, I told Naruto this was a stupid mission. Sending a sixteen-year-old on a mission to investigate a pedophile! That's like sending him on a job to make peace with Akatsuki." Sasuke scowled darkly.

"Nice analogy," Kotori muttered dryly, then looked at Hyota with curiosity, "And this is…?" Nakusu glanced at them.

"This is the only survivor. He's Prince Owari Hyota of Yukigakure." He informed. Kotori blinked in horror and studied the boy before looking at Sasuke, who merely grimaced. Sayuri and Mitsuru cringed.

"ONLY survivor?" Mitsuru asked quietly. Nakusu nodded. Kotori clenched her fist.

"And what about the freak who was doing all this? He didn't get away, did he?" She demanded, wishing she'd gotten there in time to rip the man's head off. Hyota's eyes lit up as he beamed.

"He's dead! This man came and saved us! He killed Kyoto!" He exclaimed.

"Kyoto did all this." Sasuke deadpanned, sounding extremely disgusted now, looking at Nakusu, who stared back at him a bit obliviously.

"… Ew," Mitsuru groaned, shuddering and shaking his head vigorously, "That guy was like a freaking leather jacket in itself! Disgusting! I think I'd rather starve to death."

"I rather not." Hyota mumbled, holding his stomach at the sound of it growling.

"You're lucky we still have our hotel room," Kotori pointed out, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, "We've got plenty of food for you to eat. As soon as you do, we'll take you with us back to Konohagakure. Then we can find someone to escort you back to Yukigakure."

"Nakusu." Hyota stated. Everyone stared at him, including Nakusu.

"What do you mean?" Sayuri demanded. Hyota frowned a bit, folding his arms over his chest.

"I want Nakusu to escort me back to Yukigakure. That other guy may have killed Kyoto and his bodyguards, but Nakusu's the one who helped me out of the cell and talked to me first… I want him to escort me." He concluded and with that, wrapped his arms around Nakusu's arm almost possessively. Nakusu tried to contain a cringe and just shut his eye.

"You've got yourself a fan boy." Sayuri whistled with a wickedly taunting grin. Mitsuru snickered. Kotori sweat dropped and looked at Sasuke, who scowled lightly.

"We'll talk about that_ after_ we get you guys safely back in Konohagakure… Ugh, when we get back, there's going to be hell to pay with that overly cocky, perverted old…" Sasuke went into a rant, mostly uttered in curses as they made their way back to the hotel.

The village was still calm, but there were more people out and about, chattering animatedly about electing a new leader. The shinobi stayed in their hotel, however, to avoid accusations or anything of the sort.

Nakusu sat in the room he shared with Mitsuru, Hyota, and Sasuke while Sayuri and Kotori shared their own room across the hall. He was sitting cross-legged on his bed, staring with a frown on his face at the journal in his hands.

The leather was warm and bound tightly. A few pages were sticking out past the black ribbon that kept it shut. The temptation to open it was almost hard to control.

_Useful things within this small diary? What sort of useful things could there be in a diary? And useful about what?_ He thought.

"Stop staring at that thing," Hyota complained as he sat across from him on the same bed with a little pout, "You look at it like it's some kind of jewel. What's so special about it?"

"It belongs to my aunt and apparently it is special enough for Akatsuki to want it." Nakusu replied flatly. Hyota frowned a bit when Nakusu glanced at him. Hyota definitely looked better now that they were safe and sound in their hotel room. His pale skin had a warm glow to it and his white hair shined like fresh fallen snow, matching a pair of, not black, but chocolate brown eyes. He wore a loose fitting ice blue yukata with matching pants and socks. Nakusu liked that he was comfortable now, but he was beginning to grow irritated with having… Well, a stalker.

"Your aunt? What is she? A criminal or something?" Hyota asked, intrigued. Nakusu sweat dropped and wondered what Ruriko would have to say to that.

"Uh, quite the opposite. She has worked with Sunagakure's Special Criminal Information Squad. She is now working with the Konohagakure's Police Force."

"Really? That's amazing! Is she at the Anbu level?"

"… Basically."

"That's cool! What about you? You're an Anbu, yes?"

"Yes."

"So cool! Do you go on a lot of missions?"

"Ah, yes."

"Are they all dangerous? Are some of them boring? What about your relationship with that one guy, Kaoru? You guys don't have some kind of thing going on, right? Even if you did, it's obvious Kaoru'd be the one to keep you on your knees-"

"Yes, my missions are dangerous, no, none of them are boring! And my relationship with Kaoru is strictly rivalry, NOTHING MORE! How old are you anyway?"

"Sixteen! And why would you rival with Kaoru? Did he use to be part of Konohagakure? Do you guys hate each other then? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Mitsuru!" Nakusu yelled as soon as the bathroom door opened. Mitsuru stepped out in a towel, his gray eyes wide in surprise as he held a toothbrush in his mouth. He mumbled a 'hmpth?' Hyota snickered while Nakusu slid off his bed with a huff.

"Entertain him. I am going to shower now."

"Eh? Entertain him? Doing what? You want me to stand on one foot and eat a cow?" Mitsuru asked dryly. Nakusu glared at him and Mitsuru merely shrugged before stepping aside to let Nakusu into the bathroom, slamming the door shut rather loudly behind him.

"He hates me." Hyota deadpanned. Mitsuru blinked and looked up after spitting his toothpaste out in a cup. He shook his head.

"He doesn't hate you. Nakusu's just not used to being clung to. Even his girlfriend doesn't do it." He admitted as he walked over to his bed. Hyota blinked and stared at him.

"Girlfriend?"

"Yea. Her name's Yuriye. Cute kid, pretty smart too."

"Do they kiss?"

"Do they kiss? Kid, I don't know, I don't stalk the guy." Mitsuru snorted as he removed his towel, pulling on a pair of loose boxers and a large black t-shirt with the Konoha symbol on it. Hyota smiled lightly.

"I have a girlfriend." He stated. Mitsuru glanced up as he pulled back his bed sheets.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Her name is Yura. She's small… And she's got freckles. She works in my palace back in Yukigakure, oh… And she doesn't know I'm her boyfriend yet." Hyota added, cocking his head and rubbing the back of it. Mitsuru sweat dropped."Er… So basically you just have a crush on her."

"Sure."

"Why don't you just ask her out then?"

"What about you and Sayuri?" Hyota challenged with a blush. Mitsuru blushed red in return, twitching.

"That's totally different!"

"How?" Hyota dared. Mitsuru glared at him, then shifted a little before pointing a finger at him.

"Don't tell ANYONE I said this… But Sayuri's really strong. She won both her battles in the Chuunin exams. She beats me every time we spar and she's always on top of things… Well, it pisses me off, especially since her ego is as big as her head!"

"Her head's not big."

"That's not the point… I like Sayuri, don't get me wrong. She's freaking cute and I want her to like me back, but there's still the fact that I want to beat her before I date her."

"You shinobi have such weird morals."

"Tell me about it." Mitsuru snorted as he started to get in bed, but stopped when his eyes landed on the black diary on Nakusu's bed. Hyota started to get up from the bed.

"Hey, hand me that." Mitsuru commanded. Hyota blinked, then reached out and picked it up.

"But it's not yours."

"No, but I think I know who's it is."

"Nakusu's aunt?"

"That's my mother."

"Cool! Your mom is Ruriko? Is she cool?" Hyota asked with a beaming smile as he happily handed the diary over. Mitsuru shifted a bit, puckering his lips comically, hugging the diary to his chest.

"Cool? Eh, define cool…" He mumbled. Hyota blinked in confusion. Mitsuru was already trying to remember a time when his mother wasn't yelling at the top of her lungs.

**(FLASH BACK TIME, KIDS!)**

"MITSURU! Where the hell are all your clothes?" Ruriko shouted angrily, walking into the kitchen in just an oversized t-shirt. A fourteen-year-old Mitsuru twitched, grabbing onto the counter and inching into a corner as he pointed a finger out the window.

"I sort of left them at the last hotel during my last mission!"

"YOU WHAT? How much money do you think I have? Shinobi aren't rich, ya know!"

"I KNOW! Jeez, mom! You scared the crap outta me."

"Scared the crap outta ya. Jeez. You're using your next pay to get clothes!"

"What? But-"

"Some kids aren't fortunate enough to have clothes, Mitsuru! You should really pay attention to what you're doing!"

"Yea, yea, all right. I got it."

Then there was the time when…

"I hate you," A twelve-year-old Haruke ranted angrily, clenching a fist, "You're such a big-mouthed mutt! You're so pathetic it makes me sick! Not only can you get your butt kicked by Sayuri, but you can't even talk to her without sounding like an idiot!"

"Shut up, Haruke! I'd like to see YOU talk to a girl!"

"Girls are stupid!" No more than seconds later did Ruriko walk in, grabbing both Mitsuru and Haruke by the backs of their heads.

"First off," She began with a very creepy smile that a mother probably shouldn't be wearing as she held the heads of her children, "Mitsuru is NOT pathetic. He's a good boy and good boys are too shy to ask beautiful girls out sometimes. Second, you never, ever say you hate your brother. THIRD, of all! Who says girls are stupid, eh? Boys got some problems too, so you both best apologize to each other or I'll crack your heads together like this morning's scrambled eggs!"

Squeaks of apologies were blurted.

**(Flashbacks over~)**

"What do you look sick?" Hyota asked curiously. Mitsuru shuddered, shaking his head before smiling lightly.

"I'm fine, just remembering a few things… Yea, my mom can be pretty cool… There was this one time she took our family out to eat some dinner at a sushi restaurant. And she does buy us gifts from time to time, especially on our birthdays. She likes having family birthdays with everyone getting together at the table, having some dinner and cake…"

"That sounds nice… Who makes up your family?" Hyota asked. Mitsuru frowned a bit.

"Well… There's my mom and dad… Me… Erm… My… Younger brother, Haruke… Then there are the twins, Miwa and Manabu." He replied. Hyota crinkled up his nose a bit.

"That's funny… Your brother's name sounds familiar."

"Haruke?" Mitsuru asked, perplexed. Hyota nodded.

"I think Kyoto mentioned something about him one time, when he was dragging one of the kids out of the cell. His spy was feeding him information about a boy named Haruke, who had ran away very recently. Maybe the other day? He was buying supplies from a toy shop owner, Kyoto's grandson, Ryuji." He explained. Mitsuru stared at him, then felt a sudden surge of hot anger.

He didn't know if he was mad at Haruke specifically or not, but he knew he was mad and he just wanted to punch something, but it was hard to feeling raging with Hyota staring at him with wide puppy dog eyes. Mitsuru sweat dropped.

"Weird… Well, anyway. I'm going to bed. I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Okay!" Hyota beamed.

In no time, Sasuke had returned and Nakusu was finished with his shoulder. The four males were in bed, the lights out in a darkened room. Mitsuru lay comfortably in his bed, his mother's diary sitting under his pillow.

A sudden jolt of fear shot into Mitsuru's head as soon as it touched the pillow. He was shooting back up in bed, breathing hard and hopeful that the others couldn't hear. He hurriedly took the diary out from under his pillow and stared at it.

The book seemed to almost stare back.

****

**A/N: I finally got this chapter done. I had to stop due to lack of ideas on how to write the ideas that I already had… :'D I fail. O:! Oh well, at least it's done! Hopefully I can post the next one tomorrow if I get a snow day! I pray for a snow day! I think this is all… Thanks very much for reading, hope the characters are okay, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	30. Chapter 30

**FINALLY, an update :D! Hope it's not super random o.o;**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty: **Good News and Bad News. Mail Service!**

Warm rays of sun shown past a pair of billowing white hospital curtains and casting across a white hospital bed. Lying sprawled on her belly with her face against the pillow, Ruriko stared out the window. She felt like someone had just dropped a thousand pound boulder on her shoulders and no one was going to lift it. She frowned, clenching the blankets in her fists as she let her lavender eyes shift to the metal trays nearby.

She caught her reflection. She looked better now and thanks to Sakura's healing techniques, her left eye was still in tact, however, a horribly dark scar ran from an inch above her eyebrow all the way down to her jaw line. She rolled over on her back, touching the scar with her fingertips before clenching her fist.

_He's gone… My baby's gone… And all because of my stupidity. I shouldn't have accepted his illness so swiftly like that. I should've been looking around for some kind of cure, or some way to get Haruke involved with other people. Not locking him up out of paranoia._ She thought angrily, glaring at the ceiling now. She dropped her fists to the bed.

_Well, I'm not giving up. I'm not accepting this. Haruke's my son. My son. He's mine and he belongs with me, no one else. Not Zakuro, Jiki, or that Hageshii kid. I'm going to get him back. Take as many related missions as possible._ She promised, nodding to herself before she heard knocking on her door. She blinked and quickly checked her reflection again.

She sat up, brushing her loose hair down over her shoulder as she looked at the door.

"Come in!" She called, hoping beyond hope that it was Itachi again, but she was highly disappointed to see Sasuke come in with a file folder. She frowned.

"Oh, it's you."

"Don't sound so disappointed," Sasuke replied dryly as he approached her bedside, "I've got some good news and some… Kind of bad news."

"Good news first."

"Okay, here." Sasuke pulled a little leather black book from his weapons pouch. Ruriko's eyes lit up as she snatched the book, ripping the ribbon off and scanning the pages. All was safe and sound… Except.

She stopped flipping when she saw the last three entries. Not made by her… No.

Made by Madara Uchiha and addressed toward her. Ruriko flicked her eyes toward Sasuke, shutting the book quickly. Sasuke cocked a brow at her. She sat up straight.

"Where'd you get this? I thought that kid took it." She stated. Sasuke nodded.

"Nakusu said that apparently Kaoru showed up on some unknown business, something related to Haruke."

"Tell me." Ruriko commanded. Sasuke didn't bother to hesitate or tease her this time and rushed right into the bad news as he handed her a file.

"This file was retrieved from a toy shop in Rou. Apparently, Haruke has been buying supplies from this toy shop owner as well as the mayor. It seems he's been planning this escape for at least two years, maybe even prior."

"What kind of materials?"

"Things like dolls, clothe, sewing needles, thread. His last request before the village was plunged into drama was for three hundred and seventy five plain wooden dolls. No clothes, no painted on faces, nothing. The order is still on its way to a base to meet with its receiver." Sasuke informed. Ruriko's eyes widened.

"I have to find that package. If I do, then-"

"Hold up," Sasuke interrupted, making Ruriko look at him sourly, "This is only a report from a couple days ago. For all we know, the package could be already in your son's hands."

"Oh yea? What if we checked every mail center from Rou to wherever? Then we'll find Haruke." She stated. Sasuke studied her. He didn't know whether he should maybe think of precautions, or just send Ruriko out. She was obviously determined to find Haruke again.

He stiffened as he remembered the moment Haruke had vanished, literally, into the depths of the forest and away from the village. He could perfectly imagine Ruriko's trembling body against his, wailing for her son to return.

He cringed.

_I can't believe this… I'm actually… Starting to feel sorry for her… She's lost her son and she's desperate to get him back. I can see that. I felt that way when Naruto told me about sending Nakusu on that mission to Rou. I was horrified when I found out. What if that man had done something to Nakusu? I couldn't live with myself, nor Naruto for that matter, if something had happened to Nakusu…_

"I'll inform Naruto. We'll leave at dawn tomorrow." Sasuke heard himself say before he could come to a conclusion. However, Ruriko's face brightened and she was already sliding out of the bed, tugging at her loose navy hospital shirt.

"Perfect! Did you tell Itachi yet? If you did, then I want him to have permission to come too… Unless he wants to stay with the kids… Kids. Manabu. He got out yesterday, right?"

"Yes. He's still a little stiff and should probably rest for another day." A voice said. Ruriko blinked and looked up past Sasuke, who flinched before taking on a very cold disposition. They looked toward the doorway to see Sakura standing there, her bright pink hair tied back in a long spiked ponytail, her green eyes glowing like a cat's. She wore her red tank top with the high unzipped collar and hardly a portion for her belly and a red skirt over tight black shorts. A pair of knee high black boots with buckled straps over black padding and a headband around her head like a headband finished her attire.

"Thanks so much," Ruriko sighed, "I'm glad he's all right. Did Mitsuru come to help him home?" Sakura rose a brow, pursing her lips."Hm? Mitsuru was on a mission, but Miwa came to help. So did Hiro."

"Really? How long was I in here for?" Ruriko asked, holding the side of her head. Sasuke snorted indigenously.

"Anyway," He drawled, "Come on, Ruriko. If you're good enough to run around, you're coming with me to convince Naruto. If anyone's scary enough to convince him, it's you."

"Just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly how it sounds. Come, I don't want to waste my time here." Sasuke muttered. Sakura huffed, rolling her eyes and folding her arms over her chest with a frown.

"Of course not," She retorted, "Sasuke has a lot of things to do. Like burn houses down, scare small children, and let my son go on dangerous missions."

"Shit," Sasuke cursed, then scowled at her, "That wasn't my fault! None of it!"

"Even the scaring small children part?" Ruriko asked, perplexed. Sasuke glared at her, tempted to add another scar to her face before whipping around to give Sakura a dagger-sharp glare.

"I told you already about the house thing and the fact that Naruto neglected to inform me about the mission has nothing to do with it being my fault! And Nakusu's my child too!"

"Of course. Such a perfect daddy."

"That's not my fault either!" Sasuke snapped and grabbed Ruriko by the wrist, making her wince as he dragged her out of the room, shoving past Sakura rudely and making the pink-haired medic-ninja growl low in her throat like an angry cat.

"Jeez," Ruriko muttered, "She looked like she was going to rip your innards out and-"

"Probably," Sasuke spat, "She's always blaming this stuff on me! Calling me a terrible father! I'm rude, a pig, abusive both mentally and physically and…"

"You said it wasn't your fault." Ruriko pointed out as they walked down the hallway toward the exit. Sasuke cooled down, but he only relaxed in a depressed sort of manner.

"I… Look, don't give me any of those stupid looks you give some petty shinobi, but I didn't get to grow up having a father for a very long time, so… And not to mention, my father was sort of… Different."

"Plotting a coup de main different?"

"… Yea, that kind of different."

"Well… Sakura's wrong," Ruriko stated with a shrug, "Your sons are still alive, aren't they? Still doing well and still working hard. For gods' sakes, Sasuke. Your youngest son is an Anbu Black Ops lieutenant, one step closer to becoming a full leader of a squad. And Shisui's made some accomplishments too! You're a great father if you can teach them these things… If anyone's a bad parent, it's the one who lost a child." Sasuke winced inwardly and glanced at Ruriko, but her face was impassive. He looked back ahead.

They walked in silence down the street, around a corner, down another street toward the Hokage's Residence.

"Maybe we rushed into the parent thing too fast." Sasuke said at last.

"Agreed." Ruriko murmured. Some more silence…

"It seems like just yesterday we were fighting to stay alive against Kotaro and his army." Sasuke said softly, but despite the bitterness of some of those memories, a smile lightly tugged at the corner of his lips. Ruriko peeked at him, then smiled a bit.

"Yea… Lots of crazy stuff back then…. Ugh, and those spiders…"

"Jeez, you're such a baby. They were just spiders."

"I don't know what flashback you're looking at, but the one I remember is a freaking albino spider the size of a house!"

"Like I said. Just spiders."

"Freeeak… And I also remember very clearly that you punched me so hard that you knocked me off the side of a cliff," Ruriko began heatedly, making Sasuke sweat drop and his expression to become a flat comical look of annoyance, "Sending me hurdling down into a huge lake with some kind of freakish prehistoric lizard thing, making me run all the way to that island by myself, getting hunted down and stalked by some freaky shadow man, meeting up with your totally attractive brother, watching you two buttheads, getting attacked by Madara, being chased by one of history's most ruthless criminals and his huge army of baddies, then having to risk many lives in this village to slaughter said criminal and his army, only to have him spawn some kind of monster… I think that's about it."

"… You act like this is my fault." Sasuke accused.

"YOUR FAULT? YOUR FAULT? Of course it's your fault, Mr. I'm-Going-To-Elope-With-Orochimaru-For-Power-Then-Go-Kill-My-Totally-Hot-Brother! If you hadn't of left your village in the first place-"

"If Itachi hadn't of killed our clan in the first place-"

"IF YOUR BUTTHEAD FATHER DIDN'T PLOT WORLD DOMINATION IN THE FIRST PLACE-"

"We're not going to make this a chain," Sasuke cut off angrily, rolling his eyes as they stopped on the steps to the building, his expression darkening slightly, "Because the last person we're going to have to blame is Madara."

"Actually, Madara's mother for giving birth to him, then her mother for-"

"No," Sasuke interrupted sharply, scowling lightly, "Madara's the source of everyone's pain and suffering in this world. Even those who don't even know it yet… We need to find Madara after we finish this ordeal with your son. We're going to hunt him down and kill him and freaking send his soul straight to the depths of hell where he can meet the devil himself." Ruriko stared at him. She was thinking almost the same thing, but at the same time…

The diary in her arms felt heavier now, darker. Scarier… As if telling them that it was no use. Madara was too strong. He'd crush Konohagakure in his fist if Haruke or Kotaro's son didn't first. If someone got to it first, Madara would gladly kill them. It made Ruriko's heart thrum in her chest.

Haruke… Would Madara dare to kill him?

"Let's go, I don't want to waste any time." Ruriko said hurriedly, forcing the thought away from her mind as she hurried into the building. Sasuke followed close behind.

**Later…**

Manabu stared up at his ceiling as he lay in his bed, his purple eyes unblinking. His body was still slightly sore and he felt stiff, like a doll. The thought made Manabu mentally cringe, but on the outside, his expression was stoic.

_Haruke… He never said he hated me, but somehow, I felt like he was including me. He wants to destroy Konohagakure… For resenting him… But it's not our fault. Haruke just happened to be unlucky. That condition- Oh, I forgot the name, but either way, he just happened to have that. Mom and dad said it was very rare for children to have that…_ He thought with a frown, then sat up slowly, grimacing at the stiffening of his muscles. He forced himself to rise from the bed when he heard the door slamming shut downstairs.

The slamming was hard enough to tell him that it was his mother who had arrived home.

He walked out of the room and down the stairs where his mother's ranting could be heard. He stopped at the foot of the stairs, listening to the yelling from the dining room.

"Ugh! He's sooo annoying. I can hardly believe he's Hokage. He has nerve, inviting women over when he knows that we're basically in a state of emergency!"

"Hey, at least we got the mission, Ruriko." Sasuke's voice muttered.

"Whatever. We're leaving in the morning."

"All right. Itachi, Osamu, and I will be waiting at the north gates. Don't do anything stupid either. Just relax, time some time to be with your children."

"Same to you, jackass." Manabu watched as Sasuke departed from the dining room, his lazy onyx eyes glancing over at him for a split second before he was out the door, shutting it quietly behind him. Manabu looked at his feet, then shuffled to the dining room where his mother was leaning on the kitchen doorframe, rubbing her temples.

She was still wearing her hospital clothes, a long sleeves navy shirt with patching ankle-length pants. She was bare foot now and her long black hair hung to her ankles, even curling a bit on the floor. Manabu was quiet for a moment, taking in the moment.

He'd always liked his mother's hair. It was soft and warm, like a blanket. It was fun to thread your fingers through. He'd remembered nights when he was a child and he climbed into his parents' bed to cuddle and hide from the storms or nightmares. He sighed and Ruriko jumped, then relaxed.

"Manabu… Honey, you shouldn't be up and about. You should be resting." She sounded calm now as she pushed off the doorframe, walking over. Manabu looked up at her as she brushed some of his loose flying bluish gray hair from his face.

"Mom… Is Haruke coming back?" He asked softly. He could feel the tension grow in his mother's fingers, but the look on her face was still relaxed and calm.

"Yes. I'll find him for you. I promise… And when we do, we can all go out and have dinner again. Just like before."

"Okay…" Manabu murmured and put his arms around her torso, hugging her tightly as he buried his face against her. Ruriko blinked, then put her arms around him, holding him close as she patted his head, leaning down and giving him a kiss.

"I love you, Manabu. You know that, right?"

"Yes…"

"And your dad loves you too. Your brothers and your sister."

"I know…"

"Good… Now, come on. Let's watch a movie together." They walked into the living room and snapped on the television. It wasn't long before the front door opened again and Miwa came in, giggling about something before looking up to see her twin and mother watching a movie.

"Hey! I wanna join! No one said there'd be a movie night!" She exclaimed excitedly, running over and hopping on the sofa beside Manabu, who sweat dropped. Ruriko smiled, using the arm she had around Manabu's shoulder to reach for Miwa.

"Come on, it's a good movie." She stated. Miwa beamed. Not more than a few minutes later did Mitsuru walk in with Itachi.

"I officially despise those boring missions and paper work." Mitsuru muttered dryly.

"I don't know how Beru does it." Itachi admitted, then glanced up with a cocked brow at the scene in the living room. Miwa flailed a hand at them with a grin.

"Hey! Daddy, big brother! We're watching a movie! Come join us!"

"Sounds perfect." Mitsuru sighed gratefully as he kicked off his shoes and let his headband fall onto a coat rack. He plopped in the seat beside Miwa, poking her a couple times in the ribs to make her giggle and smack him. Itachi smiled faintly as he turned off the hall light, plunging the house in darkness, save for the gentle glow of the television. He walked over and took a seat beside Ruriko, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

"You talk to Sasuke about the mission?" Ruriko asked quietly. Itachi nodded, his onyx eyes gently moving at the movie on the screen. A smirk tugged at his lips every so often at the comical events that unfolded.

"Tomorrow at dawn… Be sure to get some sleep."

"Yes, sir." Ruriko smiled and felt her eyelids drifting shut. She didn't mean to fall asleep during the movie, it just happened. She was exhausted after her argument with both Sasuke and Naruto, then the walking around town, reporting to Beru and her doctors…

She woke up later in the night, hanging halfway off her bed with Itachi's arm on her waist to keep her from falling; the blankets tangled around them in a mass.

"Ruriko, you squirm too much…" Itachi murmured sleepily. Ruriko groaned, rolling back over on her back.

"Sorry… Mmm, did I really fall asleep?"

"Mmhm…"

"Hm, I'm going to grab some tea… And brush my teeth. I'll be back."

"Hurry."

Ruriko smiled faintly, sleepily, before she rose out of bed. She grabbed a hairclip and pulled her hair up off the floor into the clip before making her way downstairs. She moved silently, hoping not to wake the kids nor bother her husband. She went to making the tea, heating the water in the kettle when she noticed her diary sitting on the counter, the ribbon still in place.

She mentally cursed herself for leaving it out in the open. She stared at it for a while, walking over. She picked it up and pulled off the ribbon, opening to the last three entries that Madara had left for her.

"_Stick around a little bit… Wait until I call on you again for some adventure. Something to make your little heart pound out of control." _

Ruriko shuddered at the sound of Madara's voice in her head, the last time she'd ever spoken to the man… He warned about leaving some 'adventures' behind for her. She let her eyes drift across the diary entry, written almost exactly as she had written it, making her eyes widen. He had written basically six pages per entry, all summaries of what had happened within the time her diary had gone missing.

Events that included the Chuunin Exams, battles, disagreements amongst countries, and even Haruke's vanishing act!

Ruriko's eyes widened some more and she felt goose bumps creeping over her skin like a plague might. Suddenly, a shadow was over her and she almost screamed, until she met a pair of familiar, tired onyx eyes.

"What's wrong? You left the kettle on." Itachi said as he turned off the stove. Ruriko looked up, startled, snapping her journal shut and close to her chest.

"Oh," She stared at the kettle, "Sorry…"

"Is something wrong?" He asked, looking at her curiously, then letting his eyes drop to the journal in her arms. Ruriko blinked, then smiled lightly.

"Nothing. I'm just really surprised I got this back… And being away from it so long, I can hardly believe I wrote any of this… Anyway, sorry for waking you up. I'll be fine."

"… If you're sure." The look of either suspicion or curiosity hadn't left his face as he leaned in, giving her a kiss on the forehead before departing for their room. Ruriko watched him go, then looked back at the journal, her eyes narrowed.

_Damn it, Madara._

**Next Day**

"I'm surprised you'd ask me to join you on this mission," Osamu admitted as he settled a kunai into his weapons pouch, "It sounds like something you'd want just you and your husband to do." Ruriko glanced at him out the corner of her eye, tightening the metal brace around her wrist.

"Are you kidding? You're my best friend. You have to come." She replied. Osamu cracked a smile, but it faded when he looked up with a slight grimace.

"Oh great." He muttered. Ruriko frowned and turned to see Naruto approaching, with several Hyuuga members and an Anbu, wearing a clown mask.

"Hey," Naruto announced, "Before you four go on your mission, take this with you. It might help you find the package faster. It's a map of all the postal offices from Rou on out. I don't know which way you'll go, so I just marked off all the ones I could find."

"… Thanks." Sasuke responded rather dryly as he took the rolled up map from Naruto's hand, letting his eyes fly over it as he unrolled it. Itachi kept silent, his eyes watching the sun rising over the tree line in the distance through the open gates. Naruto frowned and looked at Ruriko, who opened her mouth to speak.

"Ruriko." He stated. She looked up, frowning.

"Yes, Lord Hokage?" She asked. Although, she really rather not call the snot something along the lines of Hokage. She knew how Nero felt when it came to calling Gaara Kazekage…

"Be careful," He advised, "Sometimes… You can be really disappointed when you find someone you're looking for. You could be disappointed multiple times and I'm glad to know that you're persistent enough to push past all those to find the goal. I know how it feels to run after someone and get pushed back a lot, but it'll pay off in the end." He smiled, cocking his head.

Sasuke stared at him, holding the map before he snapped it shut, closing his eyes and taking on expression of slight annoyance. Ruriko smiled.

"Thank you, Naruto."

"Sure thing." Naruto beamed, waving. The team turned toward the gates, listening to Naruto bid them farewell before shooting off. The gates closed silently behind them.

Naruto lowered his hand, his expression grim still.

"I just hope Ruriko's as lucky as I was." He murmured. A Hyuuga member at his left, a boy with purplish hair in a side ponytail, turned his bluish lilac eyes to the Hokage.

"My Lord?" He asked, sounding a bit perplexed at Naruto's doubt. Naruto shifted a bit, sighing.

"I don't know, maybe it's just a feeling I have in my gut, Hayai." He admitted.

"More ramen?" Hayai offered. Naruto grinned at him.

"You know just how to change the subject! All right, sounds like a plan."

As the group departed, the Anbu hung in the back before stopping and turning to look up at the tall gates. He reached up to remove his mask, revealing lightly tanned skin, wide blue eyes, and a beauty mark under his left eye. He slid his mask up over his pale blonde hair.

"With those four gone, the village is probably weaker than usual… I'll have to report this to Master Nozomu." He beamed happily, then jumped as someone jammed their finger into his shoulder. He whipped around, rubbing his shoulder and scowling at a neon orange haired woman, her deep purple eyes glowing. She too wore an Anbu uniform and her neon hair was cut to her shoulders, braids hanging near her temples.

"Quit screwing around," Kaede chided, "We're not here to play games, kya. We're here to look for my son and then report whatever goes on here to Master Nozomu, kya."

"Yea, yea. I know. Jeez. You scared the crap outta me."

"Good, kya. Now let's roll."

"Yes, ma'am."

**On the Road…**

"Pretty cool of Naruto to take time out of his busy schedule to get us a map." Osamu pointed out after a rant from Sasuke, who merely scowled as he scanned said map. Itachi glanced at the map, frowning a bit.

"This town is Rou?"

"Yea. The one to the west is called Mizou… It's smaller than Rou, surprisingly." Sasuke muttered. Ruriko shifted a bit, fixing her hair back up into its hairclip.

"Let's stop there first, then. It's closer. We'll ask the postal service if a package of materials came through."

"What did he say was ordered?" Osamu asked.

"About three hundred and seventy five wooden dolls, no clothes, no faces, nothing." Ruriko informed with a frown. Itachi glanced at her, looking a bit disturbed.

"Dolls. He's going to use them to make voodoo dolls." He stated. Ruriko nodded, twisting her fingers through the mesh of her gloves.

"It's got to be."

"What do you mean 'voodoo dolls' exactly?" Osamu asked. He'd heard some stories about Haruke's abilities, but never the full extent. He only knew that it was strong enough to land even Ruriko, a Special Jounin, into the hospital. Leaving her with an angry dark scar that ran through her left eye. It was hard not to wince at the sight of it.

"Voodoo," Ruriko began, carefully, "It's Haruke's jutsu. He's had it for a long time. He started making dolls when he was just a little kid, but he didn't know about the voodoo jutsu… In fact, he made it up when he was like six or something. At least, that's what I think. He started casting jutsu on the dolls, making them a remote control for whoever it was. For example, he made one of Mitsuru a while back and stabbed it with a needle. The wound was transferred to Mitsuru, all the way to the other side of the village."

"Whoa." Osamu mused, staring at her. Ruriko nodded.

"Yea. However, to make the jutsu work, Haruke needs a strand of hair and a drop of blood on the doll. It also needs to look exactly like who its made for. He can use it to make the victim do whatever he wants or he can do whatever he wants to it, even kill it. He marks the vital points on the dolls surface before dressing it."

"So, he's going to make… Voodoo dolls of everyone in Konohagakure." Sasuke concluded, his eyes flashing and locking on Ruriko, who stopped walking. She visibly cringed, clenching her hands together.

"No, he's not because we're going to get to him before that happens." She assured, mostly to help herself, though. Osamu frowned, pinching his chin between his forefinger and thumb thoughtfully as they began to walk again.

"You said he needs DNA from the victims, though. How can he possibly have hair and blood from everyone in Konohagakure?" He asked. Itachi frowned uncomfortably.

"Manabu said Haruke had been sneaking out a lot… He could have been sneaking out to get the DNA that he needed, collecting it so that when he ran off to make the dolls, he'd have everything." He put in.

"That's a scary thought." Osamu muttered, rubbing the side of his head, ruffling his spiky brown hair. Ruriko groaned.

"If we had just let Haruke out of the house, none of this would be happening… When we find him, I swear, we've got to do something about that condition of his." She whined. Itachi took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She looked back at him hopefully.

"Condition," Sasuke stated, "You mean the fact that he can't feel anything, pain, temperature changes."

"Yea," Itachi answered, "It's why we kept him inside. He could catch the flu without us knowing, without him even knowing. It's happened before. He went a whole week and we only found out because we took him to the doctor on Friday."

"Which is why you guys called a doctor almost every two days and your medical bills are high." Osamu sighed. Ruriko nodded. Sasuke frowned.

"But you treated him more like he had the plague. It probably hurt him."

"If only I'd thought of that," Ruriko murmured, "I was too focused on keeping him safe in general that I didn't even think about how he felt about it. And now he's angry… And doing something really stupid if we don't find him and fast."

"We'll find him." Itachi promised, patting her shoulder. Osamu nodded.

"Right. I mean, he's only fifteen." He offered. Ruriko snorted.

"Che, age won't stop him. It didn't stop Sasuke." She muttered. Sasuke twitched and glared at her, opening his mouth to argue, but Itachi cut him off.

"Look, there's Mizou village." He stated, pointing up ahead. Ruriko, Sasuke, and Osamu looked up. The village came into view past a fading tree line. A religious arch went over the front entrance with a sign reading: WELCOME TO MIZOU! ENJOY YOUR STAY!

Upon entering the village, it seemed much different than its counterpart, Rou. The village was bustling with activity, even the poor seemed not as dreary, running around with their children and friends. A man was playing a flute on the side of the street as dogs and cats came to listen, children too. A woman had joined in with her singing, letting her heavenly voice carry. The song seemed warm and comforting, very inviting. Colorful lanterns and ribbons decorated the shops and apartment buildings.

"Wow," Osamu whistled, "This place isn't bad."

"We're not staying, Osamu." Sasuke retorted flatly.

"Where are we supposed to find a post office here?" Ruriko asked, confused. Itachi let his eyes scan the shops. Most of them were toy shops, pastry shops, even a few souvenir shops.

"We might have to ask someone." He concluded. Ruriko scowled and folded her arms over her chest tightly.

"I'm not asking anyone."

"Idiot." Sasuke rolled his eyes. Ruriko only glared, then watched as Osamu approached an old woman with brunette twins sitting at her feet. They were beading a necklace, both little girls and giggling as their pigtails bounced.

"Excuse me," Osamu said to the old woman, who gazed up with magenta eyes, "We're looking for the postal services. Would you happen to know where their building is?" The old woman smiled, showing several gold teeth. Her long salt-and-pepper hair was braided down her back, save for loose locks that hung over her face, along side her nose, which was pierced with an eye-shaped piercing.

"Postal services? Aye, they're a couple streets down… I'd be happy to show you." She rose up on her rickety knees, her body hunched. Gold hoops in her left ear jingled together as she picked up a wooden cane. The twins stared up at her with curious blue eyes before looking at Osamu and giggling again.

"Oh, ma'am, you don't have to. Just directions would be fine." Osamu started, but the old woman waved the cane in his face, making him bend back a bit, cocking a brow. Ruriko smirked while Sasuke and Itachi shared looks.

"Oh, don't ya go startin' all that pity party shniz. I'm not as old as I look." The old woman warned in a shaky, whiny voice. Osamu sweat dropped, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, no. 'Course not. You're a regular beauty." He replied. The twins giggled wildly now, tugging on each other's blue sundresses. Ruriko smiled faintly. They were cute and pretty cheerful, but too shy to speak to them, just to each other. The old woman cackled, patting Osamu on the elbow, as he was way taller than her. At least by a foot an a half, maybe more!

"Such a charming young shinobi," She chuckled as she shuffled, waving a finger at the twins for them to follow, "I'm always happy to assist shinobi. Such fine, brave youngsters… Why, last time I saw a good powerful shinobi, it was Kuromura Kotaro."

Ruriko stiffened and instinct made her grab Itachi's arm. She hated hearing the man's name. Sasuke even seemed to inwardly flinch. Osamu grimaced. The old woman cracked a crooked smile as they walked down the street.

"Aye, I know the story… Boy attacked Konohagakure a good time back… Such a tragedy to lose such a strong shinobi, mm mm mm." She shook her head. The twins giggled again as they walked beside the old woman.

"If you don't mind me pressing," Ruriko started, "How do you know… Uhm… Kotaro?"

"From one of the villages he conquered," The old woman chortled as if the thought amused her, "Used to live in the Land of Rivers, long ago… He came and killed many, accepted many into his army… I remember speaking to him. Such a handsome man and I truly wouldn't have minded having him in my bed!" She began to laugh. Ruriko went red and smacked her forehead. Osamu couldn't resist a snicker. Sasuke and Itachi seemed to try and avoid the thought of it.

"Anyway," The old woman drawled, waving a hand in her face idly, "We met after the boy killed the village elders of our town. To this day, I still wonder why he hadn't killed me… I warned him of his demise, but of course, being a boy he ignored me. It didn't help that those three little ones following him told him to ignore me. Ah well. He's paid the price."

"I'll say." Ruriko muttered dryly. Osamu said nothing, shifting a bit uncomfortably. They continued walking as the old woman told story after story until Osamu spoke up.

"Sorry to interrupt, but are we almost-"

"Here's the postal office." The old woman stated with a crooked grin, closing her eyes. Osamu sweat dropped.

"Uh, thanks, Miss…"

"Miyo." The old woman responded brightly.

"Miyo. Thank you for your help." Osamu nodded. Ruriko and the other nodded as well before Sasuke and Itachi went into the post office first. Ruriko watched the old woman hobble off with her twins scurrying after, giggling together.

"They almost remind me of Miwa and Manabu." Osamu admitted, tilting his head. Ruriko nodded.

"I was thinking just the same thing…" She murmured thoughtfully, folding her arms over her chest. Osamu yawned, stretching a bit as his eyes scanned the village.

"Nice village here…" His voice trailed. Ruriko shrugged, but she noticed Osamu's expression seemed more… Suspicious and narrowed. She frowned and followed his gaze before her face paled.

Standing near a shop, getting badgered by an old woman, was a familiar pale boy with gills etched into his neck, his dark blue hair spiked to the right, his dark green eyes rolling in annoyance. The huge sword strapped to his back accompanied with two katanas glinted in the sun. Beside him was a brunette boy wearing black square sunglasses and a large black zip up jacket to hide some of his mouth.

Ruriko's eyes widened.

_Hoshigaki Hageshii and Aburame Zakuro!_

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**A/N: I am so sorry this is late ._. I was struck by a really bad writers' block and I just couldn't think of a single thing to write, but right now, I'm working hard on trying to keep going. I'm glad I've got some support too (:! Thank you to them and thank you for reading very much, hope the characters are in check, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	31. Chapter 31

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own as well as the random guards :D!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-One: **The Battle To Haruke's Hideout! Death to Them All!**

Ruriko gritted her teeth behind pursed lips and clenched her fists, taking a step forward to go toward the cart where the two criminals and old woman were, but Osamu's hand shot out and grabbed her elbow, jerking her back. Ruriko flinched and whirled to bark at him, but he covered her mouth, glaring.

"Ruriko, I know what you're thinking, but if you rush them like that, you'll lose the trail back to Haruke's hideout! Look, stay behind and I'll follow them-"

"Hell no," Ruriko retorted, shoving Osamu's hand away and making him cock a brow at her while at the same time crinkling his nose a bit, "He's my son and I'm going to find him. I'm going to follow them."

"As if. Even I know your stealth is terrible." Osamu responded and pulled back on Ruriko's arm, taking a step forward as they watched Hageshii finally throw his arms up and snap at the old woman, while at the same time, keeping a good distance from her with a dark scowl. The old woman chattered and flung a fist up toward him while Zakuro merely waved his hands at her, slipping some money from his sleeve and shoving it at her. The old woman counted the bills while Hageshii and Zakuro started to move away from the cart.

"We can't leave Sasuke and Itachi," Osamu snapped at Ruriko, who glared at him, "Ruriko, you have to trust me. I promise I'll find your son." Ruriko felt her eyes welling up, but she refused to let her tears fall as she just gritted her teeth, clenching her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white and she quickly just gave a nod. Osamu nodded back and whipped around, shooting off. Ruriko watched him go and stomped her foot in frustration, whirling around in time for Sasuke and Itachi to come stepping out of the post office.

"Good news," Sasuke announced, "They traced the package down, giving us direction to go in on the map… Hey, where's Osamu?" Ruriko scowled, folding her arms tightly over her chest.

"While you were in there, two of Haruke's little friends where nearby and Osamu went to follow them in hopes of finding Haruke's hideout. If you have the directions, we'll follow them and meet up with Osamu." She said quickly.

"Jeez, don't hyperventilate. Come on, then." Sasuke muttered and whipped around. Ruriko and Itachi shared looks before nodding and shooting off with Sasuke ahead.

**MEANWHILE AT THE HIDEOUT**

"Damn it!" Haruke barked angrily and shot to his feet with a mold of rock in his grip, which he hurled at the wall across the model, wincing as little pebbles broke off and hit the village below. He cursed again and dropped to his knees, picking the bust rock away from the model. He scowled at the busted mold of the newest Hokage's face. He threw it behind him and heard a barked curse, but he didn't turn around.

"Jiki," Haruke spat, settling knocked over buildings back into place, "What the hell are you doing here? I told everyone to stay out until I'm done with the model." Jiki smirked after rubbing his kneecap, swiftly making his way over so his pale blue abnormally long sleeves billowed behind him before he came over to Haruke's side, cocking his head.

"I got bored standing guard to a hideout that no one is going to infiltrate. I wish Hageshii and Zakuro would come back soon! They entertain me!" He retorted with a comical pucker-lipped pout. Haruke didn't even spare him a glance as he adjusted a building, only to have Jiki bend down and smack his hand into the building, knocking it over again.

"Come on, do something else, bad guy! You're one of those kick-ass villains now! Go randomly kidnap people and kill them! Come on, I'm sure Kotaro and Orochimaru did more than just lounge around and play with dolls."

"Why would I ever want to kidnap random people? Or in general? It's a waste of time and not to mention, I don't get joy out of making the innocent suffer."

"Oh? And who's innocent?"

"None of your business- Damn it, Jiki, will you leave me alone? I'm trying to set this model up! It's got to be precise! My god, you're as terrible as my siblings-…" Haruke frowned and averted his eyes, clenching his fists in a street on the model. Jiki blinked and tilted his head, so his black red-tinted hair slid over his face and shoulders.

"What's wrong? Your face looks pink." He pointed out. Haruke twitched and glared at him, clenching a fist.

"I swear to the gods, Jiki…! Go keep an eye out for Hageshii and-"

"Wow, your face is red now!"

"Jiki!"

"I'm not kidding, lemme feel your forehead." Haruke reached up to smack Jiki away, but Jiki already cupped a hand over Haruke's forehead, brushing his hair back. Jiki's eyes widened as he tore his hand back. Haruke glared at him, twitching slightly. Jiki looked at his hand, then at Haruke with a raised eyebrow.

_Holy crap. It really is real… I thought when Hageshii kicked his ass the other day that Haruke was just withstanding it, saving the groans for later, but this definitely proves it! He's got a really high fever! That's amazing, he can't even sense it!_ He thought, then a sickly sweet smile came across his face before he waved his hand at Haruke.

"Ahaha, it's nothing! I just wanted an excuse to touch you! You're so freaking adorable, no wonder mommy wanted to save you so badly!" He laughed mockingly. Haruke scowled and started to get to his feet, but Jiki bolted from the room, giggling as he slammed the door shut behind him. Haruke glared after him, then settled back on his knees, shakily. He blinked and looked down at himself for a moment, frowning.

_Something's wrong… Did Jiki do something? Or maybe I'm just stressed out… This model is stressful as some things are out of place compared to the real village. Damn it, if only I had time to grab the necessary tools, I wouldn't be so annoyed. And it doesn't help when everyone around here is treating me as if I'm not powerful. Tsk! Not powerful, wait until they see the destruction of Konohagakure along with every single last one of their stupid shinobi!_ Haruke grinned to himself as he looked down at the village, clenching his fist over a doll that was lying at his side.

A doll with spiky blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes, wearing a Konohagakure headband and a billowy Hokage's cloak.

**The Chase**

"It seems like we've been running forever," Ruriko complained anxiously, ducking a tree branch and dodging a droopy willow, scowling at a vine that threatened to smack her in the face, "This is taking way too long. Are you sure those directions are right?" Sasuke glared at her out the corner of his eye before flipping over a tree branch and landing on a tree branch, coming to a halt in a crouch to take out the map. Itachi landed at his side, Ruriko following on Sasuke's other side.

"The map looks right and why would the post office lie to us? Besides, I just have a feeling Osamu's nearby. Ruriko, I know it's hard, but you need to calm down. Rushing this isn't going to make things better."

"Tch!" Ruriko cried in disgust, then gritted her teeth and whipped around, shooting off. Sasuke shot to his feet, fumbling with the map as Itachi grimaced.

"Damn it, she's impatient… Itachi, you can go ahead and try and find her."

"Of course and you?"

"I'll find Osamu and those two brats. Hurry up before you lose her." Sasuke muttered, nodding to his brother, who nodded back before turning and easily vanishing in a column of smoke. Sasuke sighed and shot up into the trees, his onyx eyes flashing around in hopes of spotting some sort of sign when a smell went up his nose. His eyes darkened as he caught a tree branch in both his hands, swinging up so he was crouched on it.

_Blood_. Sasuke thought with a wince, clenching his fists as he reached into his weapons pouch, taking out a kunai and activating his Sharingan. He scanned the surroundings, before his eyes locked on a blast of chakra out the corner of his eye off to the left. He whirled around and shot off, kicking off the branches before he came to a stop behind a tree trunk, his back to it before he peered around. Sure enough, another blast of chakra whirled around like a powerful wind, making Sasuke wince and jerk back before taking another peek after it calmed.

"Come on! Playing hide and seek, old man?" Hageshii's voice carried over the tree tops and Sasuke frowned, lifting the kunai up a bit. Despite the chakra attacks, he saw no sign of Osamu anywhere. He tilted his head before his eyes flashed and he whirled around at the faintest sound of bug wings. Sure enough, a dark cloud of insects came mobbing at him from over the side of the tree, chirping softly. Sasuke leapt back out of his hiding spot, doing a quick flip to avoid a kunai that was aimed for his heart, before landing on a nearby tree branch, popping back up to his feet. He was now in full view of both Hageshii and Zakuro, who stared up at him.

"Uchiha," Hageshii drawled with a scrunched up nose of disgust as he held his oversized sword in his grip, "I already have to deal with one of you, two is way too many!" Sasuke glared at him and didn't waste any time, dropping his kunai to make rapid hand signs, cupping a hand around his mouth and sending off a huge explosion of fiery hot flames that shrieked forth and caught flame to nearby flora.

Hageshii smirked and did a back flip, landing on a tree branch and slamming his sword into the branch as he made fast hand signs, a wave of water morphing into a dragon and clashing against the flames to cause a huge wall of steam. Zakuro appeared beside him, making him jump a little and glare at him.

"Asstard."

"Quick screwing around," Zakuro muttered dully as he shoved his hands into his pockets, bugs crawling around his feet and making Hageshii stuck his tongue out in disgust, "Haruke's expecting us back soon with the final piece. You go on ahead and give it to him while I hold this guy off."

"What makes you so special?"

"The fact that I haven't gotten to kick an Uchiha's ass."

"Are you kidding me? Haruke's always-"

"OTHER than him. The reason we're even with him is because we agreed to obey him, or did you miss that part in the memo?" Zakuro demanded. Hageshii glowered at him, but his eyes flashed as his nose twitched and he whirled around, tearing his sword from the branch and sending a spray of splinters as he swung it around, cutting right into a clone of water that splashed to the ground below. Hageshii gritted his teeth and jerked his head up as another clone came blasting down from above, but this time, the clone was of Osamu and Hageshii flinched, swinging his sword around and catching the clone in the hip, causing it to burst into smoke. Zakuro removed his hands from his pockets, taking out kunai with paper bombs.

"I told you there was more than one."

"Did not!"

"I'm not gonna argue with you, now get rid of Osamu! I'll get Sasuke!" Zakuro commanded and threw the kunai out in front of him, letting the paper bombs catch flame before hitting trees and exploding. A warm blast of powerful chakra came swirling around a tree branch and caught Hageshii in the back, causing him to gasp and lose his balance, stepping wrong and spiraling off the branch as the chakra encased him tightly.

Hageshii gasped and gritted his teeth against the pain of being smashed before a wicked smirk crept along his face and he managed to make a few hand signs, opening his mouth as water blasted out, shooting straight up like a geyser. High up above on a tree branch, Osamu cursed and managed to leap out of the way, losing control and stumbling backwards. He rolled over to peer down and see Hageshii land on the ground, on his feet like a cat with his sword still in tact.

Hageshii whirled around and looked up, barking out a laugh as he made hand signs quickly, sending up several geysers of hot water. Osamu winced and dodged to the left and right, left and right as the geysers blasted upwards.

_Damn it! He's fast for a kid! Jeez, he must be a highly ranked criminal…_ He thought, then looked up in time to see Sasuke dodging a wave of bugs. Osamu grimaced and made a hand sign, sending huge blast of chakra hurling forward and knocking the bugs back as Sasuke landed at his side, stumbling a little from a gash on his ankle.

"You got beat up by a kid?" Osamu asked with a taunting smirk as he took out a kunai and making Sasuke twitch rather comically and whip around, holding up a fist.

"He's a criminal, there's a different!" He snapped, then turned around with a huff before opening his eyes, revealing the glowing red of Sharingan. Osamu glanced at him, then at the criminals that were tentatively waiting for another attack.

"Where are Ruriko and Itachi?" He asked curiously as he began an attack. Sasuke did the same, blasting out a huge trio of fire orbs at the criminals, who both dodged at once to the sides.

"Directions from the post office, they're planning on meeting at Haruke's hideout!" He yelled over the shrieking flames of his jutsu colliding with Hageshii's water techniques. Osamu's eyes widened and he stared at him.

"You're joking… We can't stay here, there's a trap waiting at the hideout!"

"What? Itachi would sense it right away!"

"It doesn't matter if he can sense it, he needs to keep away! The trap was designed to kill anyone near the hideout, including the destruction of the hideout! I overheard these two talking about it!"

"Shit." Sasuke cursed and glanced back at the boys. Hageshii was rounding up another hot blast of water that swirled around like a hurricane while Zakuro threw in several kunai with paper bombs attached and flapping around on the outside.

"Hope they can sense it," Osamu muttered, "Because we're screwed here!"

"Damn it!"

**The Old Hideout**

"This is it!" Ruriko exclaimed as she stood on the tree branch, staring down at the snake-designed entrance to the underground hideout. Itachi frowned, folding the map up and sticking it in his weapon's pouch. Ruriko started forward, but Itachi thrust his arm out, making her stop and look at him in disbelief, but he held a finger to his lips and pointed.

Sure enough, Jiki was sitting outside the hideout, but he wasn't alone. A couple unrecognizable shinobi sat with him, lounging around and they seemed to be sharing a cigarette while Jiki just laughed.

"They're just kids," Ruriko whispered as they crouched low in the branches, "It'll be easy-"

"Ruriko, you said yourself that Haruke's reached powerful level in his powers," Itachi said softly, his red eyes watching the scene below, "Without a doubt he's chosen people he's sure would be able to defend us long enough for him to escape…"

"But, I don't care," Ruriko managed shakily, digging her nails into her arms and looking at Itachi, "I'll freaking rip them apart, I don't care, I want Haruke back!" Itachi looked at her sadly and reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face before glancing back at the lounging criminals.

"I know. I want him back too… But we can't be reckless. Haruke's a smart boy."

"Like his father."

"And he's strong, like his mother," Itachi replied, making Ruriko blush lightly and smile faintly, "Which is why we can't underestimate him. We have to do this cautiously. There are about four guards in total, two for both of us most likely. You've seen Jiki fight well enough, so I suggest you take him and the blonde one. Try and take them out as swiftly as possible, don't cause such a racket. If Haruke hears us, he'll take off with or without those guys."

"Got it."

"And be careful… There's a trap set out."

"A trap?"

"Look, over there." Itachi pointed downwards through the leaves that seemed to glow even in the dimness of the shadowed forest. Ruriko frowned and followed his gaze to a thin string of wire… No, more than one wire. In fact, completely laid out in front of them was an array of trip wires stretched from branch to branch, where several paper bombs were placed in wait for someone to come along and rip them.

"Really smart." Ruriko said at last. Itachi nodded, then rose to his feet, Ruriko following him.

"As expected… Remember, be careful."

"Right."

They eased down quietly at first before Jiki smelled them first, his teal eyes flashing as he shot to his feet, kicking the cigarette from the blondie's hand, making him yelp.

"Heads up!" Jiki commanded with a smirk as he whirled to face Itachi and Ruriko as they appeared in a column of smoke before the entrance. The other three guards shot to their feet, weapons at the ready. Jiki frowned a little when he recognized them both.

"You? What the hell? Ohhh, Haruke's gonna be pissed if he finds out _you two_ came here." He grinned widely and flung his hands out, then together to start a hand sign, but when he started to pull his hands away, he found wire taunt around them, making his eyes widen before he glared. Ruriko held up the ends of the wire, smirking.

"Don't let your guard down to talk, kid. You'll learn that when you go to prison because all four of you are under arrest by Konohagakure's Police Force," She announced, then elbowed Itachi, who glanced at her with a cocked brow as she laughed more to herself, "Ha, I've always wanted to say that! You should really try it!"

"I'll keep that in mind." Itachi answered, shaking his head, then looked up in time for the brunette guard to make a hand sign and send vines shooting from the ground, curling up toward him, but he easily whipped out a kunai and slash at them, cutting them all up.

Jiki growled low in his throat and flashed his sharpened canines and ripped the wire from his hands, glaring at the blondie, who was gulping beside him.

"Don't just stand there, you dumbass! Once you pledge loyalty to Haruke, you can't take it back, now move!" He shouted angrily. The blondie flinched, then looked forward with icy blue, almost white eyes which closed tightly as his hands flipped into unrecognizable hand signs.

"Ruriko, keep moving!" Itachi commanded as he moved forward, keeping his kunai drawn to deflect an attack from the brunette guard. Ruriko nodded and easily darted out of the way, for a moment confused as to why she was moving, when she saw it. A blue mist had shot from the blonde boy and he stumbled before catching himself and glaring at her, whirling again. Jiki smirked and made quick hand signs, slamming a hand into the ground.

Ruriko started to move again, but the ground seemed to turn into a giant suction cup of quicksand, pulling her down. She winced and jerked her head up in time to see the blonde boy use the same attack, but this time, Ruriko ducked low, her arms becoming submerged in the gunky sand before she reeled back with all her strength.

_Gotta thing of something that makes me mad… Okay, I got this. Remember that conversation with Sasuke about all those bad things he did to you? Remember being knocked off a cliff, beaten up a couple times, almost killed- JEEZ!_ Ruriko tore her arms free from the sand, making hand signs quickly.

"Water Release! Dark Abyss!" She barked and immediately the air became polluted with a thick black fog that rolled around. Ruriko kept silent as she listened to the blondie cry out in surprise and protest before he sounded like his voice was muffled by a hand and a barked curse. Ruriko smirked and locked her eyes in the direction of the sound, hearing kunai clashing somewhere off to her side. She looked down at the quicksand, watching it slowly harden. She clenched her teeth and put her hands on the ground, pulling as hard as she could until her legs came free with a powerful rumbling.

Ruriko lunged to her feet and quickly made hand signs, thrusting her arm out in the direction of the sound. Lightening crackled and shot through the air, zigzagging in and out so powerfully that the fog was forced backwards, slowly rolling off through the woods to clear.

The blondie choked up a glob of blood as a bolt of lightening struck him in the gut, piercing through his skin and causing him to crumple to his knees, his body shaking. Jiki managing to have stumbled back, his eyes widening before he whirled to glare at Ruriko, who lowered her hand. She started forward, ready to grab the kid and Jiki, but she was stopped when Jiki reached into his kunai pouch. He smirked as he grabbed the blondie by the scruff of his neck.

"You've made Haruke a worthy servant, kid, good luck in the afterlife!" He laughed wickedly and he shoved a kunai through the boy's gut, causing more blood to splatter in thick puddles all over the ground as a paper bomb was revealed on the end of the kunai, making Ruriko's eyes widened. She stumbled back and quickly did a back flip as Jiki thrust the boy in her direction. As soon as the blondie hit the ground with a cry of pain, the bomb went off, knocking Ruriko off her feet and skidding back across on her rear when Itachi seemed to appear out of nowhere, catching Ruriko around the waist and taking a jolting step back.

"I said be careful." Itachi sighed, gesturing to the wires that Ruriko would have tripped if she had kept skidding back. Ruriko winced, then watched as Itachi released her, whirling back around as they were now faced with two guards left, Jiki and a white-haired boy with icy eyes. The brunette lay face down, his expression blank as if he were in a trance.

Ruriko stared at him, then looked at Itachi in time to see his Sharingan to flicker a little. She glared and clenched a fist, elbowing him and making him look at her quickly.

"Enough with the Sharingan, try doing something without it, you're stronger than that." She insisted. Itachi stared at her for a moment, blinked, then nodded and looked back in time to see Jiki stomp his foot angrily.

"Goddamn it, this is a waste of time! Naoki, alert Haruke that mommy and daddy are here!" He commanded to the white-haired boy, who blinked, then nodded quickly before bolting inside. Ruriko gasped.

"No!" She cried. Jiki whipped around to face them, holding his arms out.

"Sweeeet, I get to fight my relatives! Let's see you guys take me on!"

**Inside**

Haruke grimaced as he struggled to keep his hand steady as he placed the last guard house at the top of the wall that surrounded the Village Hidden in the Leaf. He smirked to himself, then reached up and wiped the sweat from his face, frowning now as he looked at his soaked sleeve. He stood up slowly, but found that his legs were giving out, causing him to collapse. He stared, then gasped and fumbled around to find a mirror, but stopped when he caught his reflection in the water that rippled in the river that went through the model.

He was pale, sickly pale, save for the red that seeped across his cheeks and forehead. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, mentally cursing Jiki before the door to the room flew open and he jerked his head up. Naoki came scrambling in, panting for air.

"H-Haruke-sama, your parents! They're at the entrance and they're fighting- Whoa, what happened?" He asked nervously, seeing Haruke's sickly state. Haruke glared at him, twitching.

"My what?"

"Er, Jiki said you'd get mad, uhm-"

"Get them out of here, I'm not leaving! Kill them!"

"But, they've already got Kuchiki and Rinto down! Haruke-sama, forget the model. If you want to leave-"

"No," Haruke shouted, forcing himself to his feet and stumbling a little, catching his balance on the cavern wall, glaring daggers at Naoki, who stiffened, "Get your ass back out there…! Kill them, you coward! I'm ordering you to!"

"Right, all right! But, are you okay? You look really sick-"

"I'm FINE. Do as I say or else…!" Haruke reached for the nearest doll, grabbing it up and taking along a needle and thread from his yukata sleeves. Naoki yelped and whirled around, bolting from the room. Haruke watched him go, then threw the doll down, falling to his knees. He frowned and wondered for a split second if he could feel something, but nothing came to him.

His body got the message, he was sick, he was sick, he was stressed! But his mind worked harder as he moved to the model again, hearing a crash from somewhere. He jerked his head up and glared as he watched Hageshii and Zakuro come through his room, both looking a bit fatigued and exhausted.

"You assholes! Where've you been?" Haruke snarled, attempting to get up again, but falling back down. Zakuro noticed right away, grimacing and ignoring his own exhaustion.

"Haruke, are you all right?"

"I'm fine! Did you get what I asked for?" Haruke demanded, ignoring how Zakuro was staring at him. Hageshii, wiping blood from a gash on his cheek, stared at Haruke, mostly out of amusement in delight. He felt pretty sadistic as he admired the fact that Haruke was obviously suffering from something. Zakuro scowled and snatched the little bag away from Hageshii's waist, making the older guy growl. Zakuro took out a small stone model of the Sixth Hokage's face, handing it over to Haruke, who's eyes brightened at the sight of it.

"That's more than what I asked for, perfect! Now get out of here, my parents are the front entrance, kill them!" Haruke ordered delightfully, holding the final piece of the model in his hands as he leaned forward and easily connected it the Hokage wall. He started to lean forward, to make last minute touches, when Hageshii snorted rudely, making Haruke twitch and glare at him.

"No thank you? I was almost mauled by an old hag to get that!"

"Oh, how funny. Now get out of here, I have work to do and those idiots outside are making too much noise." Haruke muttered as he started to get back to work, but Hageshii was fuming. He was getting sick and tired of this rotten, spoiled brat! He lunged forward, making Zakuro flinch as he grabbed the front of Haruke's yukata, tearing him to his feet and knocking over parts of the model. Haruke cried out.

"You bastard! I'll kill you for that! I-"

"Shut up," Hageshii barked in his face, making Haruke glare daggers, "I swear to the gods, I'm going to crush you, just you wait! Heh, after this is all over, you'll be nothing, but a mangled corpse!"

"Fine, whatever," Haruke growled, "Make all the threats you want, I don't care! Put me down and let me get back to work! And you do YOUR job, the job I hired you for, get rid of those pestering shinobi!" Hageshii glared at him, then blinked as he watched a stream of blood drip down the corner of Haruke's mouth. He stared for a moment, then slowly smirked as he set Haruke down on his feet.

"Of course. I'll be glad to kill those worthless parents of yours." He drawled and gave Haruke a toothy grin before he gestured for Zakuro to follow. Zakuro was reluctant, but moved after Hageshii anyway, leaving Haruke to stare after Hageshii, then at the model before he clenched his fists. Before he could even stop himself, he was running to his room through the small hallway that led to it from the model room.

Inside, rows upon rows upon ROWS of shelves held dolls of almost all the citizens in Konohagakure, even of the children and elders. Haruke ran up to one shelf, taking down a pair of dolls, staring at them.

One was a female with long, inky black hair and lavender button eyes, one slashed through with black, while wearing a black jacket and metal bands around her wrists. The other was a male with medium-length black hair tied back in a ponytail, a pair of dark onyx eyes staring up as he wore a Jounin uniform. Haruke glared at them, clenching them in his fists before he turned and glanced down the hallway to the model room, catching no sign of anyone.

Haruke set the dolls on the bed and stepped back, the best he could as he forced himself to weave shaky hand signs. The dolls on the bed glowed a pale blue before Haruke grabbed them both up. He glared at them some more before closing his eyes and bringing the doll's ears to his lips.

"Go back," He whispered harshly, "Go back to the village… Go back and stay there. Never come back here. Haruke is gone, he's snuck away while his guards are keeping you busy… Haruke has fled." He frowned, leaning away as he turned to the shelves to set the dolls back. He waited and waited, hearing loud booms and crashes, making him roll his eyes. He glared over his shoulder at the final crash before turning to look at the dolls.

_I did it because I want to be the one to kill them… That's why I did it. I want them dead, everyone dead. All those worthless shinobi!_

**A/N: A bit shorter, but glad I got it up! No worries, there will be more OC appearances, I just wanted to get this off my chest :D; I'm kind of obsessed with Haruke right now ._.! Dunno if that's good or bad xD! Anyway, thank you very much for reading, hope the characters are in check, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	32. Chapter 32

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own as well as Naoki and Kinuye O:!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Two: **Overworked! Kid's Grow Up Too Fast!**

"_Go back…_ _Go back to the village… Go back and stay there. Never come back here. Haruke is gone, he's snuck away while his guards are keeping you busy… Haruke has fled._" The quiet and sickly voice was faint, but Ruriko knew she heard it somewhere inside her head as she was knocked back again from another spray of senbon needles. She bit back a curse and whirled around to avoid another array of needles that whizzed by her face, sticking into the ground. She found herself with her back to Itachi, who had just blocked the needles from his face, although, a cut ran along his cheek.

"Did you hear that?" Ruriko asked uneasily as she caught her breath, watching Jiki closely as he flung his arms out to the sides, kunai shooting into his hands before he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning forward on one foot before thrusting them out at them. They both ducked and whirled around to face Jiki head on. Itachi frowned, clenching his fist over a kunai.

"So I'm not going crazy," He muttered under his breath, then stood up straight as he activated his Sharingan, earning a small scowl from Ruriko before his frown deepened, "I'm not seeing anything inside. There's only one moving chakra… No, two, but neither of them belong to Haruke." Ruriko tried to hide the fact that she was heartbroken and felt like just dropping to the ground, instead tensing up.

"But… He has to be here!"

"That boy Jiki sent in alerted Haruke and he took off. This is a waste of time staying here and fighting them off… One of us might have to go after him, maybe pick up on his scent if it's not too late."

"Itachi-"

"I'll go. Hold off Jiki here-"

"I don't think so," Jiki sang, waving a sleeve around in the air while he put his other on his hip with a taunting smirk, "I'm not alone anymore, Uchiha! Hageshii~ Naoki~ Zakuroooo!" Ruriko and Itachi looked over to see three shinobi burst from the top of the underground hideout, landing around Jiki, who grinned cockily. Ruriko clenched a fist, gritting her teeth.

"You little brats!" She barked. Itachi put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a pull as his Sharingan eyes scanned the shinobi over.

"Ruriko, they may look like kids, but don't underestimate them… They're buying Haruke time to escape, we can't let them distract us. Keep Haruke as a goal in your mind." He commanded, making Ruriko nod stiffly. Itachi seemed to continue studying them for a moment longer, his eyes flicking around the clearing before he looked at Ruriko.

"We need to get out of the clearing, I have a plan."

"But… All right, I trust you." Ruriko sighed. Itachi nodded and vanished in a column of smoke. Ruriko shot up into the air and landed on a tree branch further away beside Itachi who appeared in a puff of smoke, his hands in a hand sign. Down below, Jiki narrowed his eyes in annoyance. Zakuro leaned his arms on his knees as he sat on the edge of the opening.

"They didn't give up." He stated. Jiki scowled, waving a floppy sleeve at him as his teal eyes narrowed comically.

"No shit, fool!" He snarled in aggravation before whipping around and pushing his lips into a pout, his arms brought together in front of him, fists clenched. Beside him, Naoki glanced at him, then slowly looked up into the threes, his icy eyes widening as he sniffed the air.

"Something smells… Really weird…" He murmured, his icy eyes slowly flickering to a gold color that seemed to glow even in the dimness of the woods. Hageshii leaned on the opening of the hideout, frowning as he sniffed.

"I don't smell anything, but rain, brat."

"I'm serious, I smell something! It's like a huge amount of chakra…"

"Smell chakra?" Jiki asked, confused. Zakuro glared at both Hageshii and Jiki, rising to his feet and folding his arms over his chest.

"Idiots, it's the whole reason Haruke accepted Naoki… He's got a Kekkei Genkai like Roku-sensei from Konohagakure. He can smell large amounts of chakra and not to mention…" His voice trailed as Naoki clasped his hands over his nose, squeezing his eyes shut and wailing past his hands.

"Augh! Jeeez, that smell! It reeks! That chakra is so strong!" He complained, turning his face away. Zakuro watched while Hageshii and Jiki shared looks before he looked into the trees, thrusting a hand out. Beetles flew from his jacket sleeve more crawling up from the ground and swarming across the clearing before fluttering up.

In the trees, Itachi was moving his hands quickly in hand signs, forming fire style hand signs before he lunged back, making Ruriko leap backwards. Hot, bloody red flames shrieked outwards, catching flame and burning everything in its path to ashes.

Down below, Zakuro bolted backwards as he watched the screeching red fire rush toward them.

"Inside!" He shouted.

"Right ahead of you!" Jiki yipped and whipped around, grabbing Naoki by the back of his blue muffler, dragging him in behind him with Hageshii already inside, scowling at the heat as Zakuro raced in after them, whirling around and slamming the door shut.

"Jiki, another door just in case!" Zakuro commanded. Jiki blinked, then nodded and rushed with hand signs, slamming his hands on the ground and causing fissures to rip through the ground before a huge column of earth shot up in front of the door and a loud explosion sound came from outside, knocking Naoki back on his rear at Hageshii's feet while Jiki leapt back into Zakuro.

"Holy shit, what kind of jutsu was that?" Jiki cried in horror, cringing as he could still feel the heat even through the wall. Hageshii picked Naoki up by the back of his gray shirt, making him yelp as he set him down somewhere, a grin coming across his face.

"Well, well, well. That was the jutsu of a pretty tough ninja… That's interesting, very interesting." He mused, his fingers twitching and tempted to rip his pair of katana free and rush out to slash the user of said jutsu, however, Zakuro scowled at them.

"There's no time to mess around. We need to hurry and tell Haruke to start the jutsu and start the operation." He ordered. Jiki blinked.

"What? But, we hardly have the entire army together and Haruke's…" His voice cut off as Zakuro glared at him behind his glasses. Naoki and Hageshii glanced at him as well, causing Jiki to shift uncomfortably, rolling his eyes up innocently to look at the ceiling.

"Haruke's what?" Zakuro demanded, turning to face Jiki fully now. Jiki laughed a little, rubbing the back of his neck and shrugging.

"It's nothing, really. I mean, it's not like he can feel it anyway…"

"Feel what?" Zakuro snapped, grabbing the front of Jiki's jacket. Jiki glared at him, then huffed as he flailed his arms a bit dramatically.

"Nothing, nothing! He just… Has a really bad fever."

"And you didn't even tell him?"

"Well, why should I? It's not like he'd give us a sick leave anyway!"

"Jiki, I don't believe you! This is dangerous! Haruke could die-"

"Who cares," Hageshii muttered dully, making Naoki step away from him uneasy as the older boy folded his arms over his chest, "With him dead, we could easily take out Konohagakure. You're just a dog to him anyway, Zakuro."

"I don't care," Zakuro snapped, clenching a fist and shoving Jiki back, "When I pledge loyalty to someone, I intend to carry it out until the bitter end… And not to mention, Haruke's a kid. He's too young to die now."

"Aw, how sweet, you care for the little fucker." Hageshii cooed, clasping his hands together dramatically before snickering. Jiki smirked before Zakuro scowled and shoved past them, stalking down the hallway. Naoki looked from Jiki to Hageshii before hurriedly following after hurriedly. Naoki caught up to Zakuro, panting.

"Zakuro, what about the Uchihas? Won't they-"

"No," Zakuro muttered, "My bugs stayed out there to create piles of ashes and hopefully they'll make the assumption. Even so, they think Haruke has fled the hideout, so they're probably off in the other direction. Right now, we need to worry about Haruke."

"Uh, right."

"Go fetch Kinuye to heal Haruke."

"Yes, sir." Naoki nodded and immediately split off into a different hallway while Zakuro made it to the model room, throwing the door open. He started to call Haruke's name, but stopped when he saw Haruke was nowhere to be found in the model room. He blinked and looked around hurriedly before rushing down the small hallway into Haruke's room.

Sure enough, there he was, on his knees and leaning on the bed, breathing a bit heavily and his eyes closed as sweat dotted his red face. Zakuro winced and rushed over, sweeping down onto his knees in front of Haruke. He reached up and touched Haruke's forehead, wincing at the heat that emitted before he gave Haruke a little shake.

"Haruke? Haruke, wake up." He commanded. Haruke grimaced a little, then slowly opened his eyes to glare.

"Idiot, I was sleeping…"

"On the floor?"

"…" For once, Haruke looked a bit surprised, looking around slowly before looking back at Zakuro, blinked once, twice, then glared again.

"My parents. They're gone? Did you kill them?"

"… No, but they seemed to have given up. They somehow got the idea that you were fleeing while we distracted, from what it seemed."

"… Somehow," Haruke echoed, sounding a bit dazed, "Yes… And Jiki? Hageshii?"

"Guarding the front doors from the inside. Naoki's going to fetch Kinuye so she can heal you."

"Heal me? From what?"

"You have a fever. I think the stress and the fact that you haven't been outside in a while, your diet's rather poor-"

"Don't lecture me, damn it."

"Sorry. Here, I'll help you into bed-"

"I don't need help," Haruke snapped, shoving Zakuro's hands away when he reached out to assist, "I can move on my own just fine!" He pushed himself up off the side of the bed and rose on shaky legs, resting a hand on the side of the bed. He seemed to do fine standing before he flopped back on the bed, rolling his head to the side and closing his eyes with a sigh. Zakuro watched him for a moment before he went to the hallway that led to the model room. He pulled a flap over it so the hallway was blocked off before he came back in time for the door to opened. Naoki walked in, waving a hand around dramatically while at the same time covering his nose. He was accompanied by a pale, rosy pink-haired girl with deep blue eyes, a silver choker around her neck with a red heart charm and a leather jacket to her elbows matching a skirt over baggy khaki pants.

"Kinuye's here," Naoki exclaimed past his hand, making Kinuye twitch and pout, blushing lightly before she walked over with wide eyes, holding a medical kit in her hands, "Oh, Haruke-sama! You're sick!"

"That's why we asked you here." Zakuro muttered flatly. Kinuye ignored him and set her medical kit down, hurriedly opening it. Haruke rolled his eyes before closing them and lying straight on the bed, his yukata splayed out around him to reveal the low-cut gray elbow-length shirt and matching loose pants underneath as well as his ninja boots covered with armor to match the armor over the fingerless gloves he wore.

"Hurry up," Haruke grumbled as Kinuye took out a thermometer, blinking and glancing at him, "I need to get back to that model-"

"No way," Zakuro protested, making Haruke's eyes flash open and glare, "There's just no way you're going back to work, it's the reason you're sick in the first place, you haven't slept since we found this place. You need to rest. If you don't, you won't be able to perform that jutsu." Haruke glared at him for a while longer, then rolled his eyes before looking up as Kinuye inserted the thermometer into his mouth under his tongue. Haruke waited as Kinuye took out a wash clothe, handing it to Naoki.

"Put that under some ice water, while you're at it, bring in a bowl of the water too. We're gonna need it every time that one gets too warm." She said calmly, making Naoki nod and hurry out. She rolled her eyes, grumbling about how much she didn't stink before she pulled the thermometer from Haruke's mouth. When her eyes landed on the degrees, her blue eyes seemed to turn bright green with worry.

"Oh! Oh wow, your fever… Okay, well, maybe I have some cold medicine that might help in my kit. The very best thing I can prescribe is lots of water, tons of rest, and just for you to relax the best you can. I don't think you'll be on your feet anytime soon." She explained, but her voice go slower as she watched Haruke glare at her so harshly, his eyes were turning red with Sharingan.

"Rest! I don't have time for that, idiot! I want Konohagakure destroyed before the month is over! I want it crushed! And I'm going to do it! Just grab me your cold medicine and I'll take it and get back to work! You shouldn't even be at this hideout in the first place, you worthless girl! I want my troops…!" Haruke had just started to heave himself out of bed when Zakuro grabbed him by his shoulders and forced him back down, making him flail his arms.

"Zakuro! Get your hands off me!"

"Haruke," Zakuro said firmly, glaring back at Haruke, "You will never, ever destroy Konohagakure, let alone your own subordinates in the shape you're in now. You need rest, relax. I'll be on guard in the model room, I'll inform the troops to take up positions and ready for the invasion. You won't have to worry. Maybe after two days rest, you can defeat Konohagakure, all right? Or do you want to lose everything you worked so hard for after all these years?" Haruke glared at him, but his eyes were slowly cooling to their normal deep blue pools before he flopped back on the bed. Zakuro sighed and stepped back, looking at Kinuye, who gulped.

"Go get the medication, Kinuye. Thank you."

"O-Of course." Kinuye bowed at the waist and exited the room, leaving Zakuro and Haruke alone in a room cloaked in darkness and silence. Zakuro frowned, watching as Haruke's eyes slowly seemed to slide shut.

"Zakuro," Haruke mumbled in the haze of sleep, making Zakuro glance at him after taking a quick scan around the room, "You're really…. Really… stupid…"

"Why is that?" Zakuro asked calmly, letting his eyes flick out the corner of his eyes at a pair of dolls that seemed rather limp compared to the rest of the dolls.

"You do… everything I say… Without getting pissed…"

"I told you when you confronted me about your plan, a couple years ago. I promise I wouldn't betray you. Some others aren't serious about all this, following around a little kid like you, but age doesn't matter to me. You're smart and very strong. If anyone's meant to be a leader, it's you, Haruke."

"Che, shut up… Sappy… Bastard…" Haruke's eyes shut and he sighed, his head flopping to the side as he slipped into unconsciousness again. Zakuro reached up, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"You'd of made a good shinobi."

**The Forest**

"I hope Osamu and Sasuke are okay," Ruriko murmured as they ran, "Hageshii and Zakuro, they were the ones that Osamu was tailing. They seriously couldn't have overwhelmed them, right? I mean, Osamu's an asshead sometimes, but he's pretty strong and same goes for Sasuke."

"I'm sure they're fine," Itachi replied quietly, his eyes watching the path ahead carefully as they hopped into the trees, moving from branch to branch, "Sasuke's stubborn and I know Osamu well enough that he wouldn't give up either."

"I suppose… Damn it, Itachi," Ruriko groaned, shaking her head and clenching her fists, "We were so close…! We almost had him!"

"I know… We'll get him next time, calm down. Right now, we just have to return to the village and tell Naruto what information we managed to gather from the battles fought as well as heal ourselves, let ourselves rest up… I'm almost out of chakra. I haven't used that jutsu in a long time."

"I'll say," Ruriko muttered, rubbing her forearms where the skin was red and blistered, "It even burnt me, and I was behind you."

"I'm sorry. We'll stop in the next village and I'll take the liberty of bandaging that up."

"Sounds like a plan. Then you can take a really long nap before we head out again."

"I'm looking forward to that." Itachi seemed to stifle a yawn before they came to a halt, their eyes widening. Before them seemed to be almost a wasteland at the center of the forest, trees busted down and ashes piled, blood splattered and the foul stench of powerful jutsu in the air. Ruriko flinched and looked at Itachi, who scanned the clearing.

"They're not dead." He said at last. Ruriko looked at him quizzically, but he didn't answer as he shot off the branch and down to the fallen trees and forestry. Ruriko sighed and shot after, frowning as she landed on a tree trunk that had fallen across a river, denting it so deeply it was now merely a million small streams. Ruriko walked over the tree, her eyes shifting from side to side before she caught her reflection in one of the small rivulets. She blinked and bent down, reaching up and touching her fingers over her left eye, the scar that shot down to her jaw line. She grimaced and rose to her feet, sighing and turning around to scan around. She couldn't see Itachi, but she knew he was probably searching around for Sasuke and Osamu. She walked along the tree trunk for a while, looking from left to right in search before… She stepped on a weak spot. Her eyes widened and she yelped aloud, following through the wood and slamming into the ground so her jacket tore and ripped off, hanging from the opening high above while the back of her shirt tore. She gasped and clasped a hand on her back to keep it together, twitching angrily as she gritted her teeth.

_Oooo, you idiots better be dead because you will be when I find you!_ She thought furiously, sitting up on her knees and feeling along her back. The rip went from collar to seam at the bottom and would have slipped right off if not for her hand holding it. She rolled her eyes and looked up, glared to see her jacket torn and hanging, gently waving back and forth almost tauntingly in the wind that came through one end of the trunk.

Ruriko sighed and looked around, then stood up as best she could with her cut up legs, reaching up her free hand. She caught a small piece of her jacket and ripped, but the long strip tore right off around the bottom and Ruriko scowled at the long strip of black cloth in her grip before an idea popped into her head. She held the strip in her mouth, pulling the shirt closed the best she could.

"Ruriko?" A voice asked. Ruriko yelled in surprise, the strip popping from her mouth and falling straight down into a stream that leaked through the tree trunk. She twitched and whirled around.

"YOU ASSHOLE- Oh my god." Ruriko's jaw dropped at the sight of Sasuke standing behind her. His face was smudged with dust and dirt, a cut running from the corner of his mouth all the way to his ear and his clothes were torn in several places, blood splattered across his attire… However, instead of an expression of agony, he wore one of annoyance.

"What did you do to your shirt?" He asked. Ruriko blinked, then glared at him angrily, feeling her face warm up like it had when Itachi had used the fire technique to attack the hideout.

"I didn't do this, you jerk butt! Ugh, it was the tree. I fell through and it tore my jacket and my shirt."

"… I see," Sasuke drawled, wincing a little as he stepped forward, "Where's Itachi? Have you found Osamu?" Ruriko glared.

"Well, I wonder. Itachi's looking for both of you right now and I decided to help. Look, you moron, you look healthy enough to tie this strip of cloth around me to keep my shirt from falling off."

"… Hmm, I dunno," Sasuke muttered dryly, putting a hand on his hip as he reached up to ruffle his hair, freeing some leaves from it, "I wasn't greeted all that kindly, I don't think I should."

"You snotty nosed little-"

"No, no, try 'I'm so glad you're okay, Sasuke, could you please help me?'"

"Over my rotting corpse."

"Then have fun running around without a shirt on."

"…" Ruriko felt her eye twitching and a vein pounding in her forehead as she glared daggers at Sasuke, who kept his cocked brow look on his face with pursed lips. She rolled her eyes and looked the other way.

"Yea, yea. I'm so glad you're okay, Sasuke. Could you help me?"

"Please."

"PLEASE." Ruriko corrected herself angrily past clenched teeth. Sasuke sighed and walked over, scooping up the cloth and bringing it around her front, tying it tightly in a knot in the back. Ruriko sighed, letting her long hair fall over the rest of it before she turned to face him with a frown.

"Don't tell me those kids did that to you." She stated, pointing at him. Sasuke scowled, folding his arms over his chest.

"Not quite… Just one kid. Zakuro mostly stayed out of the way or chased us into view of Hageshii. He's the one that destroyed this entire clearing." He responded coldly, making Ruriko's eyes widen as the image of the older teenager came into her mind. She averted her eyes, bringing a finger to her lower lip thoughtfully, folding one arm under her other.

"He looked like just another criminal."

"No… And I found out who his parents are, why he's so ruthless." Sasuke muttered bitterly. Ruriko looked up with a blink.

"His parents…?"

"Hoshigaki Kisame and Akamizu Miyori."

"Miyori," Ruriko echoed, wondering why the name sounded awfully familiar before she looked at Sasuke, "Kisame of the Akatsuki, a former member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist who wields that huge shark fin sword thing."

"And Miyori, S-ranked criminal and rumored to be as strong as Kisame, almost as strong as a tailed beast. She wields kurasigama."

"Damn, put those two together and you've spawned the devil." Ruriko muttered, making Sasuke grimace a bit.

"Basically… We eventually did get him pinned down, but Zakuro actually did something other than use bugs and paper bombs. He tackled Osamu off his position so that Osamu's jutsu failed on Hageshii, which caught me off guard and this is the result of that."

"I didn't think Uchiha Sasuke could ever be caught off guard!" Ruriko gasped dramatically, thrusting a hand out and using her other to cover her mouth. Sasuke glared daggers at her and reached out, snapping the cloth keeping her shirt on. Ruriko yelped and quickly hugged herself, glaring back at Sasuke, who just huffed.

"Hey, you two," A voice said from above, "I don't think Itachi would approve of the foreplay!" Ruriko felt her face grow fiery red hot as she jerked her head up to see Osamu with gauze over his cheek and a band-aid over his nose, grinning down at them.

"Shut up, you asshead! It's not my fault! Itachi, I want out!"

"What a baby." Sasuke said under his breath. Ruriko locked her eyes on him and lunged, ready to punch him, but he took a step back and Ruriko stumbled, then huffed and whipped around to stand under the hole in the tree trunk. She crouched, keeping one arm around herself to keep the shirt on before bolting out of the hole with Sasuke following close behind, a smug expression on his face.

"What happened to your shirt?" Itachi asked as she approached him with a comical pout before turning a bit pink, pointing a finger at the tree.

"Weak spot, ripped my shirt, and jacket."

"I see. Well, sit down. I'll use the last of my bandages to keep your shirt on. You'll have to deal with the sore arms for a while… And legs." He added, noting the bloody cuts all over Ruriko's legs from falling through the tree. Ruriko nodded with a sigh and plopped down as Itachi unhooked his weapons pouch, sitting down beside her. Sasuke and Osamu sat down a ways away, Sasuke explaining most of the battle with Osamu butting in every so often to state that something was 'untrue' or 'exaggerated'.

"So… I take it you guys didn't find the hide out?" Osamu asked at last after Sasuke finished. Sasuke was about to yell at him, but the question registered and he looked his brother and sister-in-law. Itachi frowned, pausing the placing of the bandages around Ruriko's torso. Ruriko stiffened, clenching her fists at her sides and gritting her teeth in an attempt to stop herself from crying. Osamu frowned and got the message, nodding and looking away. Sasuke watched as Itachi continued to bandage the shirt shut, Ruriko tense and uneasy the entire time.

_That kid… He's causing them so much grief. Don't kids realize that they're parents are effected if they run away too? He's pretty damn selfish… Gods, I shouldn't think like that, after all, the kid's my nephew… I tried to help them get Haruke back, but it's hard, even though he's just a kid. It's like all I can do now is pray for good luck… To think I'd be reduced to something so trivial._ He thought in aggravation before sighing, rising to his feet.

"Well, come on. It's about time we got back to the village. Naruto's going to want to know what happened." He said quietly. He received a trio of nods as he grimaced, holding what felt like a busted rib as he glanced toward the destructed area.

_Kids grow up way too fast._

**A/N: Whaa, a bit longer :3 I'm okay with it :D Yea, so that little failed rescue mission is over, sorry no happy ending for this mission :( Yea, I know the parents gave up easily and all, but… Come on, Haruke did use his voodoo jutsu xD The only time I think it's ever really failed was with Manabu o3o~ Anyway, I hope this was good, prepare for another mission before the BIG HUGE ACTION PACKED DRAMA BIT HAPPENS. Oh yeaaaa~ By the way, this is coming to a close shortly after the BIG HUGE ACTION PACKED DRAMA BIT HAPPENS. So yea. Thanks very much for reading, hope the characters are in character and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	33. Chapter 33

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own as well as Naoki and Kinuye O:!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Three: **Getting Over Your Fears And Falling Head Over Heels!**

"Wowww! This place is so pretty! I don't wanna go back to Yukigakure!" Hyota murmured in awe, doing a slow spin to get a full view of one of Konohagakure's most bustling tourist spots. Nakusu merely frowned and rolled his eye, keeping his arms at his sides so his long sleeves seemed to flip a little. Beside him, Yuriye watched Hyota with sparkling light green eyes.

"He's so energetic. I'd be scared if I were him, in some strange village so full of people." She murmured honestly, her eyes moving with Hyota as he almost comically popped up at each shop window, flailing his arms so his billowy snow white kimono sleeves went flying.

"Too energetic," Nakusu muttered dryly before sighing, "Lord Hokage has informed me that Hyota's parents have been contacted. They are ordering that we return him most promptly, however, there are only a few shinobi that are available to take on an escort mission at the moment."

"Oh?"

"Yes. There is myself, you, Hitsuki Mayu, and my cousins, Manabu and Miwa, however, they are still Genin and quite possibly not ready to take on the mission of escorting a prince." Nakusu replied, closing his eye. Yuriye blinked, then twiddled her fingers a little, averting her eyes.

"Well, I think your cousins are rather strong. I mean, Miwa managed to get information on Haruke even with flames engulfing their house and Manabu even stood up to Haruke himself… I heard Kakashi-sensei talking with Kotori-sensei that Haruke may have reached past a Jounin level. Manabu has guts."

"Or he is simply stupid." Nakusu pointed out. Yuriye twitched and seemed to almost pout in his direction, her twiddling fingers tensing a bit. Nakusu opened his eye and glanced at her, then shrugged, looking away. Yuriye sighed and sweat dropped, shaking her head so her light green bob, with long strands ending at her chin, swayed with her movements.

"Nakusu," Hyota called to them from a shop, waving a hand excitedly, "This toy! I want it! I want it!"

"What? You are sixteen, not six-"

"Of course," Yuriye interrupted with a big smile, running over to him, "We'd be happy to buy something for you, Hyota-sama! Wouldn't we, Nakusu?" She looked at him, putting on almost a puppy dog look, without hardly meaning to either. Nakusu melted.

"Fine." He said at last and took out his recent pay for the mission in Rou, thankful that it was definitely enough for him to buy something for Yuriye while they were in Yukigakure, if they were accepted by Naruto to take on the mission. Yuriye smiled as Hyota jumped up and down excitedly. Nakusu walked inside while Hyota gazed at the toy while it was being wrapped.

"Are you getting that toy for yourself?" Yuriye asked with a warm smile. Hyota blushed a little, keeping his hands on the window and looking down at his feet.

"I'm getting it for this girl at my palace back in Yukigakure."

"A girl?" Yuriye asked, brightening. Hyota blushed some more, looking up at her before clasping his hands under his chin.

"Lady Yuriye, please tell me how you got Nakusu to love you because I want Yura to love me too! I've bought her lots of things before, but she never took them! Do you think she'll like this gift?" He asked, her eyes sparkling dramatically. Yuriye yelped a little, blushing as she leaned away, holding up an arm as if to defend against the question.

"Er-Er, well… Uhm… I guess I just asked him to the hot springs one day? But, Hyota-"

"Hot springs?" Hyota asked, confused.

"You've never been in a hot spring?"

"… Erm, I don't really know. What's a hot spring?"

"… Never mind. Hyota, if you want this Yura girl to like you, buying her things isn't going to make her happy," Yuriye said at last, holding a finger matter-of-factly, making Hyota blink and tilt his head, "She probably just wants you to talk to her about things, you know, life, missions, what goes on in your head."

"…? But isn't that boring?"

"If you really like this girl, it shouldn't be boring." Yuriye pointed out with a little blush, wondering for a moment in Nakusu ever thought she was boring. It made her shoulders sag a little as she poked a finger to her lip thoughtfully when the door to the toy shop opened and Nakusu came out with the wrapped package, handing it to Hyota, who cheered. Nakusu rolled his eye, then looked at Yuriye, who perked up and laughed a bit nervously, looking away. Nakusu stared at her for a moment with a slightly wide, confused eye before the eyelid drooped and he leaned forward, giving Yuriye a kiss on her cheek.

Yuriye blinked and felt her face grow bright red as she looked at Nakusu, who seemed to be blushing lightly too as he watched Hyota wave the present around happily. She smiled faintly, touching her fingers to her cheek.

_That's the first time in a long time he's kissed me! Does this mean he's overcoming his fear of being close to people? Or maybe…? I'm an exception? No, no! What am I thinking? I'm not that special to him… We're just dating… Oh, jeez. I'm so pathetic, I don't see why Nakusu would ever want to date me in the first place! I mean, look at him!_ She thought, glancing at him out the corner of her eye.

The headband over Nakusu's missing right eye glinted in the setting sun of the day, his only deep sea blue eye seemed to glitter softly. His messy blue hair may have looked like he just got out of bed, but how attractive it was! It had to be soft as it blew in the gentle spring wind. The baggy shirt underneath his proud Anbu uniform and matching pants that hid his ninja boots with protective metal shielding, the same shielding over the elbow length black gloves seemed just perfect on him.

_There's no way I can keep up with that, boring me. He could've gone with all the pretty girls in Konohagakure… And me?_ She thought and looked down at herself. She wore baggy light gray arm warmers to the end of her fingertips with darker gray trims, the top trim a bit furry. She wore a light gray tank-top styled zipper with dark trims and no neck guard, instead her black headband hanging there. Light gray trousers with dark gray fur at the bottoms and black sandals finished off her attire. Yuriye sighed, then felt someone looking at her and looked at Nakusu to find him a bit closer than before.

"I picked you because you were the most beautiful and smartest woman in all of the world." Nakusu told her. Yuriye stared at him and felt her face reddening even further as Nakusu picked up one of her hands in his. She could tell he was tense, but the longer he held onto her hand and looked at her with such a look told her, he was fighting all his past fears just for her. She held her breath and-

"Kiss her! Kiss her!" Hyota chanted, pumping his fists up and down. Nakusu twitched and glared at Hyota in annoyance, making the prince grin sheepishly and look away innocently while Yuriye felt like she was about to faint, sparkles glittering around her comically.

"Ahh, young love," A voice sang, "How cute! You guys are one of the cutest couples in all of Konohagakure since Uchiha Mitsuru and Hatake Sayuri!" Nakusu and Yuriye both jumped and turned to see a familiar woman come down the street, her long bluish-black hair pulled up in a loose bun as her lilac eyes glittered. She wore a charcoal kimono top with black slacks and blue ninja sandals.

"Mayu-sensei." Nakusu greeted a bit stiffly, trying to regain his composure. Yuriye was still blushing, but waving a hand in her face to cool it off. Mayu winked at them, putting a hand on her hip.

"Good evening, Uchiha and his lovely girlfriend."

"What do you want?" Nakusu demanded at last. Mayu huffed a bit, but her expression became a bit more serious as she sighed.

"Well, good news and bad news, and worse news. Which one first?" She asked, folding her arms over her chest. Nakusu and Yuriye shared looks before looking back at Mayu.

"Bad, worse, then good." They said together, both blushing at the same time. Mayu stifled a giggle and nodded, dropping her arms to her sides as she tried to stay serious.

"Well, bad news is… Manabu and Miwa are going to be joining us three on the mission to escort the prince here back to Yukigakure. The worse news is, your aunt, uncle, father, and Osamu failed to retrieve Haruke on their mission, he fled before they could get to the hideout. The good news is, we get to go on the mission to Yukigakure together… Wow, that was kind of backwards." She muttered, scratching the side of her head. Nakusu blinked, staring at her.

"Wait, they failed? What happened?" He demanded. Mayu shrugged, averting her eyes.

"Unfortunately I wasn't told much, but your father just arrived back in the village. You can ask him. For now, I have to take Hyota with me back home so he has somewhere to stay for the night. We leave at dawn to escort him back… Bring warm clothes." She added, pointing a finger at them. Yuriye just nodded and looked at Nakusu as he lowered his eye to the ground. Mayu said nothing more and walked over to Hyota, who shoved his present and joyful cheering in her face.

"Nakusu…" Yuriye murmured. Nakusu averted his eye, clenching his fists in his sleeves before looking at Yuriye.

"Come with me to see my father."

"Hm? What? Are you sure you don't-"

"I do not know what I will do if I do not have someone to control me there. Please."

"S-Sure, yes, of course."

"Thank you." Nakusu murmured and reached out, taking Yuriye's hand. Yuriye blinked, blushing lightly as she shot off with Nakusu. They arrived at the Konohagakure's Police Headquarters where a brunette woman with her hair cut in a V-shaped bob came out, adjusting her purple glasses that matched her eyes. She wore a long sleeved dark grayish purple turtleneck past her fingertips on the left side, the right side as short as the black Jounin vest that went over top, except the vest sleeves seemed to hang off her shoulders a bit, baggy black pants with ankle boots and her headband around her waist finished off her attire.

"Beru," Nakusu announced, making the girl jump and flail an arm and almost dropping her files if Yuriye hadn't of caught them in time, "Where is my father?" Beru blinked and looked up with a file in her mouth as Yuriye held onto the rest of them. She pulled the file from her mouth and cocked a brow.

"He just went in there to file a report… He was beat up kinda bad." She responded, thanking Yuriye for catching the files before she headed down the steps and off to her home. Nakusu and Yuriye shared looks before walking inside. The lobby of the police force was bustling with activity, people moving from place to place. Nakusu took Yuriye's hand and led her through the crowd, grimacing every so often when someone bumped into him, making him squeeze Yuriye's hand tighter before they made it into the hallway that led to Sasuke's office.

Together they walked to the door and Nakusu opened it without regard to the KNOCK FIRST sign on the door. Inside, Sasuke jerked his head up from his file folder to shout, but stopped when he saw Nakusu and Yuriye. He blinked and set the files down, rising to his feet a little, wincing at the freshly healed busted rib in his torso. Nakusu frowned.

"What happened, father? Mayu-sensei the mission failed." He stated. Sasuke grimaced and slowly sat back down, leaning back in his chair.

"We encountered detours. Detours by the name of Hoshigaki Hageshii and Aburame Zakuro. The first one is the child of two of the Bingo Book's worst criminals and Zakuro was disowned by his own clan. They caused us quite a bit of trouble and not to mention, Ruriko and Itachi claimed Haruke had already fled… They said they 'got a feeling', but that has to be impossible. How convenient is it that they both heard the same thing in their heads?" He muttered aloud. Nakusu frowned.

"What do you mean same thing?"

"I don't know, they said they felt like someone was telling them that Haruke wasn't even there…"

"You think it was a genjutsu."

"I don't know, possibly. I'm looking into it. I have to do a shitload of research and damn it, it's giving me a migraine… Your brother should be home tonight, so he'll make dinner. I won't be coming back until early in the morning."

"… I see." Nakusu said at last, looking the other way. Yuriye put a hand on his shoulder and Sasuke glanced up to notice, raising an eyebrow a bit curiously.

_Odd… Nakusu has never let anyone touch him before, including Yuriye for quite some time… Is he finally breaking out of that shell?_ He wondered, then a thought occurred to him before he set his files down on the desk.

"Yuriye, may I have a word alone with my son?" He asked. Yuriye blinked, jumping a little and nodding quickly. Nakusu glanced at her as she walked out the door before he looked at his father, twitching and taking a jolting step back rather comically to see his father narrowing his eyes and folding his arms over his chest, lips pursed.

"She's going home after this, right?" He asked sternly. Nakusu blinked.

"What? Of course. She told her parents that I would have her back by eleven. Why…" His voice trailed as he felt like his face caught on fire, his fists clenching so tightly his knuckles turned white. Sasuke turned a bit in his chair, rubbing his chin with his finger in a surprising comical display of slyness.

"Good, good. Because you know you're not allowed to have her over when you're without a parental guardian. Hell, even with Shisui around. Knowing him, he'd pounce on the thought of-"

"FATHER!" Nakusu protested in embarrassment, his eye twitching. Sasuke shrugged, closing his eyes as he held up a finger matter-of-factly, looking right at Nakusu now.

"Don't raise your voice, Nakusu. I was a teenager once too, you know."

"Father, really-"

"You have to be careful what you do. You should never do something with someone unless you know you are truly loved back."

"You know this from experience." Nakusu deadpanned and in the next second, Sasuke hit his head on his desk, clenching his fists over his head as a cloud of shame seemed to hang over his head.

"Don't mention that." He groaned, then popped back up, folding his arms over his chest again quickly, making Nakusu sweat drop.

"My apologies. Well, I should be going… I'm taking Yuriye-"

"Out to eat," Sasuke interrupted, making Nakusu twitch as his father pulled out a wad of cash, tossing it in Nakusu's direction, "After all, you should always treat a lady."

"Father, if I did not know any better, I would suggest that you have been drinking since you got back."

"Tsk, drinking! That's a vulgar display of weakness. Get your girlfriend and go home… Just you though," Sasuke added, making Nakusu throw his hands up in disgust, whirling around and throwing the door open, leaving, "NO GIRLS IN YOUR ROOM, NAKUSU!"

Nakusu felt his face flame as he grabbed Yuriye's hand, almost dragging her down the hallway with him as she blushed and several eavesdropping shinobi snickered amongst themselves. Nakusu led the way out into the cool spring night, the crescent moon above glowing brightly amongst the glittery spray of stars on the velvety darkness. He looked up, still holding Yuriye's hand before looking at her. She was blushing bright pink, her hand in front of her mouth shyly.

"Sorry," Nakusu said at last, "He is just acting strange because he failed his mission."

"I… I'm sorry about all that, Nakusu. I really thought they could bring him back…"

"… It does not matter," Nakusu said at last, frowning, "If they had brought Haruke back, I would have beat him senseless." Yuriye winced and Nakusu looked away. They stood in silence for a while before Nakusu squeezed Yuriye's hand.

"Let's go out to eat before I take you home." He told her with a faint smile. Yuriye blinked, then smiled back as warmly as she could. They walked into the village again, searching for the right place to eat as people walked by; families, couples, friends. The village of Konohagakure seemed rather peaceful that night, despite the dangers that seemed to lurk outside the walls. In minutes, Nakusu and Yuriye found themselves sitting outside a small café with their dinner and warm tea.

"Nakusu," Yuriye said after a while of talking quietly, remembering her earlier thoughts back at the toy shop, "I'm not boring you, am I?" Nakusu blinked, then shook his head.

"No, of course not. Why would you think that?"

"I don't know… I guess because Hyota asked me how he could get that girl, Yura, to like him and I mentioned talking. He said it sounded boring and I was just curious." She explained honestly, fiddling with her tea cup. She always wondered why it was near impossible to lie to this boy. No, man. Nakusu may still be young, but his mind worked and clicked like that of a man, by far better than his own father's and possibly even Shikamaru of the Naara clan.

"I love hearing you talk," Nakusu replied sincerely, reaching for to put his hands around Yuriye's on the tea cup, "You have an angelic voice." Yuriye blushed pink and felt her body quiver a little, mostly out of pure delight that Nakusu was putting his warm hands on hers, murmuring such gorgeous things!

_Jeez, I sound like someone out of sensei's pervy books._ She thought, her mental chibi self tearing up and flailing before she looked up at Nakusu to see him looking right at her, making her turn red now.

"What?" She asked a bit nervously. Nakusu said nothing for a moment, then smiled lightly.

"You have a bit of mitarashi sauce on your lower lip."

"Ack, I do?" Yuriye cried in embarrassment, pulling her hands away from Nakusu's and ready to reach up with a napkin, but Nakusu took her hands and pulled them down. She blinked and looked him in confusion before Nakusu reached out and took her face in his hands, pulling her close, carefully. Yuriye felt her green eyes widen.

_A kiss…? He's going to kiss me?_ She thought and Nakusu was only a centimeter from her lips, her eyes slowly fluttering closed. Their lips moved closer-

"About time!" A voice declared. Nakusu cried out first and leapt back, flailing his arms to keep his balance in his seat, knocking his meal and tea off the table. Yuriye yelped and blushed deep crimson as she looked over to see Hyota beaming at them, leaning on the edge of the table, wearing an icy blue royal kimono with bells tying some of his hair back in a short ponytail while the rest hung loose.

"Hyota!" Yuriye managed, then looked over to see the mess Nakusu made and wince. Nakusu seemed to be trying to hold back a hiss of pain at the tea that had splattered all over his lap and his meal, as well as Yuriye's, knocked all over the ground.

"Nakusu," Yuriye started worriedly as Nakusu twitched angrily, "It's all right, don't be angry… Uhm, I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind us having dinner at their house."

"Shouldn't he be inviting you to some big fancy restaurant, though?" Hyota asked, confused as he cocked his head. Nakusu blushed with embarrassment, tensing up, but unable to find the right words to tell the obnoxious prince to leave. Yuriye blinked, blushing lightly as she smiled a bit.

"No, no. I love little cafes… They're cute."

"Cute," Hyota repeated thoughtfully, then beamed, pointing a finger at Nakusu, "That's why you like him, cuz he's cute! Nakusu is cute, isn't he?" Yuriye sweat dropped and Nakusu was covering his face with his hands before a waitress seemed to notice their distress, rushing over with napkins.

"Sir, are you all right?" She asked hurriedly, reaching a napkin to bat Nakusu's torso, but he jumped a little, jerking away from her. Yuriye winced and got to her feet quickly, smiling weakly at the waitress as she took the napkins from her.

"I-It's fine, miss. I can do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course." Yuriye nodded and turned to Nakusu, who looked so upset that he might just crush the table under his fist as Hyota seemed to giggle. Yuriye handed Nakusu some of the napkins, but he just held them in his hands, sighing miserably, closing his eye.

"I am sorry, Yuriye," He murmured, making Yuriye look up from wiping off his shirt sleeve, "I must be honest… I have no idea what I am doing…"

"You seemed to be doing fine to me." Yuriye replied softly, her cheeks stained pink as she patted the napkins on the side of Nakusu's face where hot tea had splashed up. Nakusu glanced at her out the corner of his eye, his sad expression looking a bit surprised.

"I was?"

"Of course, Nakusu. It's not your fault you ended up wearing your dinner," She replied, making Nakusu's cheeks burn, "Besides… I know your intentions. I'm very glad to have you as my boyfriend." Nakusu blinked as Yuriye leaned up and pressed her lips against his gently. Nakusu felt his eye widened before he reached up to hold Yuriye's soft face in his hands, their lips still locked. Hyota watched with wide dark eyes, fascination and awe written all over his face as they parted.

Yuriye smiled and reached out, running her fingers through Nakusu's hair, trying not to shiver as delight rushed through her.

_It is soft!_ She thought excitedly, watching Nakusu blush a bit before stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. Silence…

"Awww, that was so cute!" Hyota cooed, clasping his hands together. Nakusu twitched and lowered his hands to glare at Hyota while Yuriye happily ruffled Nakusu's hair before leaning down and kissing him gently on the forehead, making him blink and look at her as she collected the remaining napkins. Nakusu slowly smiled as Yuriye waved Hyota off, telling him they were leaving now and it was good to see him. Hyota flailed an arm as a wave before dancing off, singing:

_Nakusu and Yuriye, sittin' in a tree!_

_K-I-S-S-I-N-G!_

Nakusu rolled his eye, then rose to his feet slowly, sighing and frowning at the mess on his lap as he looked up at Yuriye, who smiled.

"We can stop by your house so you can change." Yuriye told him and Nakusu nodded, following Yuriye as they walked to his house, their hands clamped together tightly. Shisui was sitting on the steps of the house when they arrived, painting his nails horribly hot pink that made Nakusu want to go blind in his only eye. Shisui looked up at the sight of them for a second, then back, then did a doubletake, his jaw dropping before he threw his nail polish away carelessly, squealing with delight.

"Ahhh! You guys are sooo adorable together! Oh, and you're holding hands! Oh my god! I would so take a picture if Nakusu didn't look like he had a fight with a sick kid!" He exclaimed with a giggle, making Yuriye stifle her own giggling. Nakusu huffed.

"Shut up, Shisui. I am here to change and then I am taking Yuriye home."

"Aww, you two aren't gonna do something-"

"NO!" Nakusu cried in embarrassment. Yuriye felt her face grow red hot once again as she clamped her hands over her cheeks in order to try and cool them down. Nakusu twitched in annoyance, then turned to Yuriye.

"I will be back. If he does anything stupid, call for me."

"Okay." Yuriye replied softly. Nakusu nodded, turned, paused, then turned back and kissed Yuriye on the cheek before heading into the house. Shisui broke into another fit of squeals and giggles, flailing his arms and flipping his long blue hair around in the hairclip.

"Aww, that was so freaking adorable! Ohmehgawd, you two are, like, sooo cute! It's UH-MAZING! Oh, sister-in-law! Yes, that's what I'll call you from now on!" Shisui declared, thrusting a finger in the air and putting a hand on his hip. Yuriye blushed, waving her hands.

"Oh, Shisui, don't!"

"On the contrary! Nakusu sooo loves you, my gawd, I just found out he has a picture of you sitting by his beeeed, ohhhhh, it's so damn cute!"

"R-Really?"

"Of course, honey! It's so cute~ He's got it framed and everything! He's definitely in love with you, sweetheart." Shisui announced with a giggle, making Yuriye blush. At the same time, however, she was smiling. She couldn't help, but find joy in the idea of Nakusu thinking about her. Did he think about her as much as she thought about him?

"I really… Like Nakusu too…" Yuriye murmured. Shisui grinned, waving a finger at her as if to scold.

"Ah, ah, ah. Say it out loud and proud, sister-in-law."

"Shisui-"

"Loud and proud!" Shisui exclaimed loudly, flailing his arms dramatically before clasping his hands together and making a kissy face. Yuriye sweat dropped and shut her eyes, blushing.

"I love Nakusu."

"Louder~"

"I love Nakusu!"

"I can't hear you!"

"Shisui-"

"I said I can't hear you!"

"Ah! I love Nakusu!" Yuriye cried louder this time, watching Shisui gush and blush and squeal with joy, doing a little dance on the steps. She blushed, watching before something caught her attention out the corner of her eye. It seemed to be an open window, the white curtains billowing out. Yuriye's eyes widened in horror as she clamped her hands over her mouth.

_That's Nakusu's room! Oh gods, did he hear me shout that? Oh, I'm so embarrassed…_ She thought, hiding her face before looking up when the front door opened to reveal Nakusu changed into a clean uniform, stepping out and closing the door behind him. He looked from Shisui, who immediately stopped dancing to wave innocently, then to Yuriye, who just stared at him and blushed. He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he walked forward, swiftly taking Yuriye's hand again.

"We are going to have dinner at Yuriye's house, Shisui, so I will be back afterwards." Nakusu called over his shoulder. Shisui blinked and pouted.

"Who am I supposed to have dinner with?"

"I heard Mitsuru was back in town."

"WEEEE! Well, have fun you love birds, I'mma score me a cute little boy named Uchiha Mitsuru!" Shisui sang happily and shot off. Nakusu rolled his eye and kept on walking with Yuriye's hand in his. Yuriye blushed lightly as they walked, glancing at Nakusu out the corner of her eye, then back. It was still silent even as they arrived at the Sasaki home, the front porch light on. Yuriye let go of Nakusu's hand and approached the door, about ready to knock when a man opened the door, making her jump a little. Sasaki Ariyato opened the door, a stern and strict man… And also Yuriye's father.

"You're early." He mused, glancing at Nakusu, who tried not to grimace and merely nodded his head.

"Something detoured us from having dinner out, my apologizes." He responded formally and Ariyato nodded in return, stepping aside.

"You're in luck. Momiji is setting out dinner, please, come in." He greeted. Yuriye glanced at Nakusu, who kept his face rather placid as he walked inside, both of them taking off their shoes at the door and following Ariyato into a lovely dining room where Yuriye's mother had just finished setting the table before blinking and looking up, pointing a finger at Nakusu, who blinked.

"Name the Fourth Mizukage!" She declared. Nakusu's expression relaxed as he raised an eyebrow, letting a faint smile cross his face.

"Yagura, Mrs. Sasaki." He responded. Momiji blinked, then snapped her fingers and rested her chin between her thumb and index finger.

"Much too easy. I'll think of one that'll trip you up someday." She laughed, winking as Nakusu merely smiled in return. Ariyato cleared his throat and gestured for everyone to take a seat. Once being seated, they declared 'Itadakimasu' before passing around plates and bowls of delicious food.

"So," Ariyato began first, "I heard you two have a mission tomorrow morning, bright and early, to return Prince Owari Hyota to Yukigakure. The missions is to be led by you, Nakusu. How do you feel about the mission?" Nakusu glanced up after swallowing.

"It sounds relatively simple to return him than to rescue him." He responded. Ariyato nodded, although, he seemed to crack a faint smile before eating. Yuriye shifted a little in her seat, sucking a noodle up before her mother thrust her finger out again, cutting off the end of her noodle and making her yelp.

"What was the height and weight of Senju Hashirama?" Momiji exclaimed, making everyone else sweat drop before Nakusu closed his eye.

"He was 185.1 centimeters and 74 kilograms."

"Man, he's good!" Momiji whistled, settling back in her seat, shaking her head. Ariyato glanced up at her, cocking a brow as he set his chopsticks down.

"Momiji, hold off on the random facts for after dinner, all right?"

"Right." Momiji blushed, laughing a bit nervously as she went back to her chewing her food, looking up at the ceiling and trying to think of another trivia question. Nakusu went back to eating, easily finishing his meal and glad that none of it ended up all over his lap or up in his face.

"I wish you the best of luck on your mission tomorrow," Ariyato said as dinner came to a close, "I should hope you are able to arrive back soon to help your family search for your cousin." Nakusu blinked and looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"Thank you, sir," He glanced at Yuriye, who was standing beside her father at the door, her hands clasped as she smiled faintly, "Goodnight, Yuriye. I'll be here early to pick you up for the mission."

"Kay, g'night, Nakusu!" Yuriye said quickly and the door closed as she sighed dreamily.

"What's that look for?" Ariyato asked curiously, folding his arms over his chest as he looked at his daughter with a strict fatherly look. Yuriye twitched, then laughed a little, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Aha, nothing, father. I'm just tired. I think I'm going to bed! Good night!"

**Next Morning**

"All right," Mayu announced as she held a file, Nakusu at her side as he adjusted the crème winter cloak around himself with a frown, "The mission is simple. Bring Prince Owari Hyota back to the Yukigakure Palace safely to his parents, be sure he is safe before departing back to the village. Think we can handle it?"

"Heck yea," Miwa shouted excitedly, thrusting a fist in the air, "This is gonna be easy!" Manabu sweat dropped as he hid his mouth behind his winter cloak, keeping the hood pulled up as he sighed. Yuriye and Nakusu shared confident looks, their hands held together tightly while Hyota went up and down on the balls of his feet excitedly, snuggling against the warmth of his white cloak. Mayu nodded as she tucked the file into her own crème winter cloak, turning to face out the gates.

"All right then, let's get this mission over with." She stated and they were off, shooting out the gates.

****

**A/N: Gah, I was so in love with NakusuXYuriye it ended up being most of the chapter, mah bad xDD! They're just so cute O:! Anyway, yup! Mission return Hyota is a GO! Let's see how this mission goes after the one with Haruke failed! Yea, sorry if Sasuke was a little out of character, haha… He IS older and more mature now, though~ Ya never know! Ah, I think that's about it… Well, onto the next chapter! Thanks uber much for reading, hope the characters are in check, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	34. Chapter 34

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own as well as The Peach Tree Trio!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Four: **Attack of the Peach Trees! Welcome to Yukigakure!**

"You guys are gonna love it there," Hyota explained cheerfully as they walked along the path, the air growing chilly as they moved on, "It's a really big place with lots of animals, like snow tigers and owls! It's not as big as the Leaf Village, but it's got almost that many people! And everyone's really nice too, at least, that's what Yura and my nursemaid, Byako."

"You've never been outside your palace?" Miwa cried in disbelief as she walked along the prince, her hands clasped together as her purple eyes stared in wonder. Hyota sighed, looking a bit dramatic as he waved a hand out in a shrug.

"A few times and on the visitations that my parents send me on, but even then I'm usually being carried in some kind of cart. My parents are total freaks sometimes." He huffed with a boyish pout. Miwa blinked, then nodded, folding her arms and holding up a finger matter-of-factly.

"I so know what you mean! My big brother, Mitsuru, I mean, can be such a weirdo sometimes! He acts kind of like my mom, which is a serious nightmare because my mom is like Chihuahua on steroids!"

"Miwa, don't talk about mom like that." Manabu muttered behind his cloak, only to have Miwa smack him in the face, making him yelp and blush, wincing as a red mark appeared over his face. Yuriye sweat dropped and looked at Nakusu, who merely sighed, but said nothing while Mayu smirked, her arms folded.

"Yea, but they provide you with a home, right," She pointed out, earning a nod from both Miwa and Hyota, "And they feed you, cloth you, help you grow up. You should cut your parents some slack, especially your mothers since they're the ones who went through a hell of a time to get you here on earth." Hyota blinked.

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused. Miwa stared at him, her eyes growing round as her jaw dropped comically.

"You're kidding me!" She exclaimed. Manabu clamped his hands over his hood, over his eyes and shutting his eyes. Yuriye blushed.

"Hyota, you don't know about birth?" She asked, confused. Nakusu rolled his eye. Mayu sweat dropped, dropping her arms at her sides in defeat.

"Uhm, kid, that's a question for your mother to answer, not me." She answered, making Hyota puff out a cheek pouting. Miwa averted her eyes awkwardly as the walk continued in a heavy silence before Hyota spoke.

"Birth is like a mommy dog having puppies, right?"

"… Yes." Mayu said at last, smacking her forehead and clenching a fist. _Jeez, I thought he said he was sixteen. Shouldn't he know all this by now? And what did he think he was gonna do with that girl he likes? Share stories and grow old without any of the fun stuff?_ She wondered, deeming the boy rather helpless. Nakusu glanced at Mayu out the corner of his eye, then back, his mind rolling in the same fashion while Yuriye held onto Nakusu's arm, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. A smile crept along Yuriye's face as she glanced up at Nakusu to see him watching the path ahead, his blue eye seeming to shift every so often as if he were thinking rather deeply about something. She sighed and cuddled her cheek against him. Nakusu blinked, glanced at her, then smiled and squeezed her hand in his.

"I got it," Hyota exclaimed, making everyone look at him as he thrust a finger in the air, "When we get to the palace, I'll ask my parents for a huge dinner and you guys can stay the night! I know you have to get back soon and everything, but I'm positive you guys will love the food! We have the best chefs in the Land of Snow! It'll be worth it!"

"Sure," Miwa blurted before Mayu or Nakusu could answer, "It'll be our pleasure! I've always wanted to try fancy food too! Oh, Manabu, this is so exciting! A real prince too!" She turned to look at her twin, who was pouting a little as he gave his cloak a tug, averting his eyes.

"Uh huh."

"What's your problem?" Miwa demanded, putting a fist on her hip, the bamboo staff with the spiked ball chained to the end jingling around on her back as she thrust her nose in the air. Manabu glanced at her, then rolled his eyes with a sigh into his cloak, his arms folded underneath.

"Nothing… It's just-" He stopped suddenly, his eyes widening. Miwa and the others stopped as well.

"What now?" Miwa groaned, stomping her foot and clenching her fists. Manabu whipped around and pointed down the path they were coming from.

"Someone's following us." He stated. Nakusu frowned.

"How did you know that? I only just now sensed them when you stopped." He muttered, a bit annoyed that he hadn't caught it. Manabu unfolded his arms and pulled a long strand of wire that glinted lightly across the path before it came to a small tack that was flipped over, dragging its point along the dirt.

"What's that?" Hyota asked, confused as he cocked his head. Manabu averted his eyes, pointing.

"It just helps me tell when someone's following. If the tack's flipped, it's because someone flipped it over. It's made so it doesn't flip by itself either." He replied and Hyota just blinked, question marks popping up around his head as he poked his lower lip, still obviously confused. Miwa smirked, reaching behind her and unhooking the staff from her back, whirling around and holding it in front of her.

"Atta boy!" She declared, making Manabu blush and twitch slightly before Mayu smirked, putting a hand on her hip.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Manabu. Your weapon's expertise is almost as good as TenTen's," She pointed out, making Manabu blush some more before she turned and faced the path, "All right! We've caught you, come out whoever you are!"

"Keep the prince in the middle." Nakusu whispered and everyone nodded as Nakusu grabbed Hyota by his hand, pulling him behind him. Hyota blinked with wide, curious eyes as he peered over Nakusu to watch. Nothing happened for a moment before someone stepped out of the trees- No, three someones!

The first was a female with chestnut hair tied in a high side ponytail, wearing a pair of thick black round glasses that seemed to distort her eyes, making them appear as swirls of blue, matching her turtleneck, black vest, and matching pants to her high heeled blue ninja sandals, a belt around her waist containing a multiple amount of items.

The second was a male, rather old with a thick bushy pepper beard to match the mop of hair on his head and his droopy mustache. He wore a shredded up yukata over a red low cut shirt to reveal curls of thick hair on his buff chest and gray shorts to his knees with high boots, laced all the way up.

The third was a violet-haired boy with mismatched white and green eyes with black eyeliner that only went down over his left cheek, a snaggle tooth poking out on the left side. He wore a gray vest with a white hood, matching his ankle-length pants and black ninja sandal-ed boots.

"What the hell?" Miwa demanded at first, lowering her weapon before the girl thrust her finger out at them.

"You there! Shinobi of Konohagakure! I am Momoko of Peaches and I command that you relinquish your-" She stopped to start coughing, flailing her pointing finger. The shinobi sweat dropped as they watched the girl cough and hack for air. The older man grunted, reaching into his shredded yukata and taking out a small L-shaped device.

"Momoko, your inhaler."

"I-I got this-"

"Just use it, girl!" The man bellowed and Momoko snatched it from him, thrusting it to her mouth and taking a deep breath, holding, holding, then let it out, handing it back to the older man with a smile.

"Thank you, Gyokuro," She sighed, then whipped around once again to face the shinobi, waving a finger at them, "As I was saying, relinquish Prince Owari Hyota or face the wrath of THE PEACH TREE!" She reached into her belt and whipped out a kunai, only to drop it. She yelped and ducked down to scoop it up, holding it back out again and glaring with a dramatic pout similar to an M. Mayu sweat dropped.

"Er, the Peach Tree? What the heck is that?" She asked, cocking her head while Nakusu, Yuriye, Miwa, Manabu, and Hyota all sweat dropped. Momoko blinked, her eyes making a small 'poingk' sound before she growled, holding up the kunai.

"The Peach Tree, woman! The Peach Tree is a notorious evil killing group that kidnaps princes for ransom! Now hand him over, old lady, or I'll cut you to pieces!" She yelled and Mayu twitched, glaring.

"Who are you calling old lady?" She demanded, clenching a fist as a vein pounding in her forehead while Nakusu merely shook his head, thrusting an arm out in front of her before looking back at the group.

"We are not going to play around with a bunch of frauds, so go back to where you came from or-"

"Who are you calling frauds," Gyokuro bellowed, thrusting his hairy chest out and making Yuriye, Miwa, and Mayu cringe in disgust, "We are true ninja, little boy! We are the mightiest, the most powerful, the most conspicuous-" He stopped when the violet-haired boy poked his shoulder and made a few gestures with his hand, giving him a flat look.

"Oh, oops," Gyokuro grumbled, then turned back, "I meant inconspicuous of all ninja and to start our own super great army, we must have money! If you hand over the prince willingly, we will have mercy and maybe leave you alive."

"Maybe isn't very comforting." Manabu mumbled under his breath. Nakusu scowled at him, then looked back at the ground, standing up straight and lowering his arm as his single eye flashed to Sharingan.

"If you will not move, we will kill you without hesitation, do not tempt us." He threatened, mostly out of aggravation. What kind of criminal group was this? The girl looked possibly a year or two older than him, the old man by far the oldest, possibly in his late fifties, and the boy was maybe around nineteen or twenty. It was outrageous if they thought they could attack specially trained shinobi.

Momoko's eyes seemed to widen behind her glasses and a pink blush bubbled onto her face, sparkles seeming to fly around her out of nowhere, the scene becoming less and less serious as she clasped her hands together by her cheek.

"Ohhhhooo! Sharingan! An Uchiha! I thought I knew that _gorgeous_ look anywhere! Forget the prince, if you come with me Uchiha, we'll leave your friends alone! Come with me and let me please you like no. Other. Woman. Can~!" She giggled, making a kissy face. Nakusu twitched as goose bumps shot over his skin and he shuddered in disgust while Yuriye winced.

"Like what?" Hyota asked, confused. Everyone stared at him, Nakusu and Mayu twitching.

"Hyota, just stay back there and be quiet," Mayu advised flatly before turning on the Peach Tree Trio, "All right, fine! If it's a battle you _children_ want, it's a battle you shall get!" Gyokuro stared at her and grinned, holding out his hand and rubbing his index and thumb finger together, winking.

"Hey, hey, when this is all over you wanna-"

"Gyokuro, pay attention!" Momoko shouted angrily, waving her fists by her head and puffing out her cheeks, steam blowing out of her nose. The boy sighed and made some gestures with his hand, making both Gyokuro and Momoko glare at him.

"Shut up, Kompeito!" They shouted in unison, making the boy wince and cover his head before sighing again.

"Enough of this, let's kill them already!" Miwa yelled and bolted forward, making Nakusu wince.

"Wait, Miwa!" He protested, but she was already reeling her staff back, the ball swinging as a grin spread across her face. Momoko whipped around, smirking and showing off her teeth, which sparkled dramatically before she stepped side as Miwa skidded past across the dirt before the staff whirled around, aiming right for Momoko, who gritted her teeth.

"Gyokuro, Kompeito! Get the prince and go! I'll handle the baby here!"

"Why you…!" A vein pulsed angrily in Miwa's forehead as she gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes as she swung her staff up and aimed to bring it down on Momoko's head, but Momoko did a flip out of the way so the spiked ball slammed into the earth so hard it shook and crackled apart. Miwa quickly made a hand sign in front her mouth, glaring at Momoko, who stiffened at the sight of the hand sign.

"Fire Style! Molten Pot!" The fissure around the spiked ball grumbled and Miwa reeled her staff away as thick hot lava began to gurgle out, spreading like a spilled pot of soup as Miwa leapt away to avoid it, smirking as Momoko cried out, flailing before running to a tree and inching up it. Miwa rolled her eyes.

Meanwhile, Gyokuro rushed at Mayu, reaching into his yukata and taking out a katana hooked to the inside, holding it out and ready to open it, when it clicked. He blinked and immediately stopped, giving it a pull.

"What the…? Ah, crap, one second." He grumbled, blushing as he plopped down, taking the holster between his feet and giving it several dramatized tugs. Mayu sweat dropped, then bent down and picked up a rock, throwing it and hitting Gyokuro in the side of the head. The old man yelped and twitched, falling over, spasming.

"This is really embarrassing." Mayu said at last, smacking her forehead before she saw a flash out the corner of her eye. She jerked her head up to see a flash of purple-hair. She whirled around to kick, but she felt a strong push on her foot and stumbled back, slamming into Nakusu, who yelped after hitting Yuriye. Manabu gasped and whipped around in time to see Kompeito skid through the dirt right behind Hyota, who yipped like a puppy.

"Prince Hyota!" He cried and lunged forward as Kompeito caught Hyota around the waist, heaving him up under his arm and doing a sharp flip backwards to skid away from them. Hyota squirmed and wiggled, trying to free himself as Kompeito came to a stop to look at the shinobi, then whipped to stare at him in disbelief. Manabu gritted his teeth and tore three kunai out on his fingers, flinging them outwards. Kompeito dodged them all, while still holding Hyota tightly under his arm before he stopped, staring at the kunai, watching as paper bombs fluttered, catching fire.

He quickly leapt back in sharp flashes, sharp flashes that only skilled ninja were seen to use. Mayu cursed under her breath, clenching her fists.

"So, he's the skillful one. Smooth job hiding with those two idiots." She muttered as she went for a kunai, but something suddenly caught her around the wrist. She blinked and looked down to see a wire around her wrist. A sudden jerk made her bark out in pain as she was torn to the ground. Nakusu went to look, but he felt a sharp tug on his wrist as well and he hit the ground. Yuriye and Manabu leapt away, gasping in surprise while Miwa looked up in time to see the attack.

Gyokuro was still lying on the ground, but his fingers were twitching on the ground, pulling on wires as he slowly sat up, chuckling. He seemed to pick up another set of wire from the ground with his other hand, giving them a jerk.

Mayu and Nakusu yelped as wires shot from the ground, whipping around them and keeping them pinned. Yuriye looked at Manabu quickly.

"Manabu, go after the prince! Miwa, go with him! I'll handle this!" She said, but her voice was a bit shaky as if she wasn't all that confident in herself. Manabu stared up at her before nodding.

"Good luck." He added before he whirled around to face Kompeito, Miwa appearing behind him in a flash. Kompeito blinked, then quickly shot off into the trees, making Manabu and Miwa shoot after him. Yuriye whipped around, glaring at Momoko who took up position beside a chuckling Gyokuro. She whipped her hands into hand signs before thrusting her arms up, then bringing them together with a loud smacking sound as water burst from the ground, rushing forward in a swirling vortex.

Gyokuro and Momoko's eyes bugged as they shrieked and bolted off in separate directions, the wires coming free. Mayu ripped through them first, scrambling to her feet and grabbing the wire up from the ground as Nakusu bolted up into a sitting position, wincing as he rubbed his wrist, now bloody as his sleeve was sliced off. Mayu swung the wires up and around, doing a twist as Momoko and Gyokuro came at her from the sides.

She gave the wires a jerk and Momoko and Gyokuro both yelped as the wires went around them, tying tightly and tearing them together so their bodies collided painfully with a loud BOOF. Mayu tied the wires up and let go with a loud twang as the dust cleared to reveal both of them tied in awkwardly painful positions.

Yuriye dropped beside Nakusu, immediately reaching into her weapons pouch for a roll of gauze, tending to his wrist. Mayu walked over, ignoring Momoko and Gyokuro, who flailing and shouted.

"You think you can defeat us easily? We are the Peach Tree-"

"Morons," Mayu inserted sharply, putting her fists on her hips and turning to face them, "What do you think you're doing? Trying to commit highway robbery. And with such poor skills! The only one we're worried about is that mute friend of yours. You two are only as bothersome as two five-year-olds." Momoko felt her face redden with rage as she began to thrash around wildly. Straight streams of tears ran down Gyokuro's face dramatically as he pulled up his upper lip in a pout, stiffening up while Momoko threw them around in the dirt.

"Is his wrist okay?" Mayu asked with a frown, bending down to watch as Yuriye cut the gauze and used a metal clip to keep it on firmly. She received a nod from Yuriye, who tucked the gauze back into her pocket, reaching up to brush Nakusu's hair from his face as he muttered vulgar curses.

"It'll be fine. It's not too deep, not enough for stitches anyway… Are you all right, Nakusu?"

"Fine." Nakusu answered bitterly. Yuriye smiled worriedly and leaned in, kissing him on the forehead and making Mayu grin widely, clenching her fists on her knees as she watched.

"You guys are so cute together! How adorable of you to care of Nakusu like that, Yuriye! You'll make a fine wife!" She declared, standing up right and holding up a finger. Yuriye blushed while Nakusu twitched, turning red himself.

"Mayu-sensei, you sound like Shisui!"

"Great minds think alike!"

"Mayu-sensei-"

"NO," Momoko screamed, tossing her head from side to side and bouncing around comically, making the shinobi wonder how she could move both herself and the buff old man tied to her at the same time, "The Uchiha is mine! You hear me? I called him! He's mine! I'll be the one to play out _Icha-Icha_ with him, not you!" Mayu huffed and stuck her tongue out before turning to smirk at Yuriye, who seemed a bit uneasy and awkward about the whole situation.

"Don't worry, Yuriye. Nakusu's all yours!" She giggled. Yuriye blushed and looked at Nakusu, who blushed himself and averted his eyes. He would have normally found himself annoyed and possibly angry at the 'possessive' sound of that, but he actually felt his heart speed up instead.

"Well, what do we do about those two idiots?" Mayu asked, pointing a thumb at Gyokuro and Momoko, who were yelling once again. Nakusu frowned as Yuriye helped him stand, glancing at them before looking at Mayu.

"Leave them. They are not worth our time. Let us go find Manabu and Miwa." He muttered, clasping his hand with Yuriye's, making her beam. Momoko's jaw dropped before her teeth clenched.

"ARGH! I'LL HAVE YOU SOMEDAY, YOU HEAR ME? I'll-" She stopped to cough and hack for air, flailing as Gyokuro groaned.

"Ahh, whatever. I hope you choke on your own breath-"

"D-Di- HACK- DIE, GY- ACK- DIE-"

With the two members of Peach Tree arguing, Mayu, Nakusu, and Yuriye shared looks before shooting off through the trees in the direction Manabu and Miwa disappeared with Kompeito and the Prince.

**Meanwhile…**

Manabu and Miwa shot through the trees, knocking needles off the pines and left over leaves to the piles down below as they barely managed to keep Kompeito in sight, if not for Hyota's snow white cloak and hair as well as his yelling and whining. Miwa gritted her teeth as the bitter cold wind tinted her cheeks pink, her long grayish blue hair whipping in the wind.

"Manabu, you have to use one of your long range attacks to stop him, he's going toward the mountains and we'll loose him once we hit the snow!" She ordered. Manabu grimaced and seemed to be thinking of an attack before he nodded, then shot up ahead, pushing off branches before going around and a bit ahead. Miwa smirked and got ready to make hand signs as she watched Manabu swing his arm around. Kompeito's eyes flickered and looked at Manabu as he pulled on his sleeve.

Senbon needles shot through the sleeve of his cloak and hoodie, ripping forward at an almost blinding speed. Kompeito whirled around and let go of the prince, who yelled in horror as he went racing for the ground below. Miwa smirked, then gasped as she saw the prince fall and shot down after him. Kompeito winced and scrambled to go after her, but a loud screeching sound caught him off guard and he jerked his head up.

Manabu made a hand sign with one hand, thrusting his hand out toward his target, one eye closed against the strain of the jutsu.

"Lightening Style! Thunder Clap!" Blue jagged bolts of razor sharp electricity exploded through the air, rushing in thick streams toward Kompeito, who pushed up off the branch and did a flip, landing almost a foot in front of Manabu, causing him to gasp in surprise.

Kompeito whipped out a pair of double-edged kunai, aiming to slash at him, but Manabu ducked and went between Kompeito's legs, whirling around as he appeared behind him and he reached into his pouch, whipping out several shuriken and flinging them forward, only to have Kompeito leap into the air and do a little spin through the air, his arms following close behind him before he landed on the tree branch. Manabu whipped around again, making another hand sign this time, closing his right eye as he thrust his hand out toward Kompeito, who went to move. Manabu tried not to smile in triumph at his trick and a kunai shot into place in the hand that created a tiger hand sign. He swung it up at Kompeito, who's eyes widened as the kunai went for his face.

He managed to yank his head out of the way, but barely so the kunai's blade sliced right over his chest, drawing out a splatter of blood that made him wince at the stinging pain as he back flipped and landed back on the tree branch, biting back a howl of pain as soon as he landed, looking down to see caltrops scattered all around the branch. He looked up at the sound of a thunk and only had time to wince as Manabu's fist slammed into his nose, causing him to go flying, slamming into the tree trunk. Manabu did a flip, his hand hitting the branch between several caltrops in avoidance before he pushed off and landed in front of Kompeito, who barely had time to recover before scrambling to his feet and ducking Manabu next punch, swinging his foot around to knock Manabu to his knees.

Manabu jumped over his leg and leapt into the air, flipping so his feet collected with the branch above, sticking with the use of his chakra. Manabu looked down as Kompeito looked up before frowning and reaching into his pocket, taking out three small black orbs that Manabu recognized immediately.

_Poison gas!_

Kompeito threw the bombs at the side of the trunk, so the seeping blackish purple gas shot up and downwards. Kompeito leapt away quickly, avoiding the caltrops as Manabu held his breath and grimaced, keeping his lips pursed shut, the cool gas reaching for him in thick clouds. Manabu spun around and bolted along the underside of the branch before he flipped on top of it, reaching into his pocket and taking out a kunai, attaching a flailing paper bomb to it and slamming it into the tree trunk, activating the tag.

_KA-BOOM!_

The tag exploded, sending splinters and gas flying outwards in thick swirling smoke clouds as the branch groaned and snapped off, heading downwards. The branch slammed down into the next one, then the next one, then the next one before it sailed through midair and hit the ground with a jarring crash.

Manabu watched from his place on the next tree over, breathing hard before he made his way down to the forest floor, where the branch was nothing, but a pile of woodchips now and Miwa was standing with Hyota, who stared in awe at the destruction.

"Did he get away?" Manabu asked, wiping sweat from his forehead as he approached. Miwa looked up with a grimace and nodded, pointing off into the darker parts of the forest.

"He took off that way somewhere, but it didn't look like he was coming back," She answered, then smiled and winked, sticking her tongue out at her twin, "That was awesome, Manabu! I haven't seen you fight that good in a long time!"

"Uh, thanks, I-" Manabu yelped as Hyota threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly and roughly so that Manabu's hood fell off and his eyes rolled around in his head.

"Thank you so, so, so, much, Manabu! I'm eternally in your debt! I'll give you anything you want!" Hyota cried and snuggled Manabu to his chest. Manabu yelped and whined quietly as his hair was ruffled and messed up. Miwa giggled, clasping her hands over her cheeks as she watched before she heard a branch crack and looked up in time to see Mayu, Nakusu, and Yuriye approach.

"Sensei! Nakusu! Yuriye, we're here! Manabu chased off that Peach Tree guy!" She called with a hand cupped around her mouth. They landed on the ground and Mayu sighed with relief, smiling lightly as she watched Hyota basically strangle Manabu in thanks.

"Well, looks like you guys had a harder time," She pointed out at the mess, looking around before looking at Miwa, "Did you have fun?" Miwa grinned, pointing at Manabu.

"Not me, I just caught the prince before he fell on his head again. Manabu's the one who beat that guy! All by himself too!" She announced proudly and Hyota cheered again, raising a fist in the air while using one arm around Manabu's neck to keep him chokingly close.

"Three cheers for Manabu! Hip-hip-hurray!" He yelled, Miwa joining him as they thrust their fists in the air. Nakusu sweat dropped as he watched Manabu whine in distress, pulling at Hyota's arm.

"Yes, yes, that is very wonderful, but did you see where the boy went?" He asked, getting a poke from Yuriye. Miwa pointed off to the shadowed forest as the sound of a crow overhead, cawed.

"He went thata way… After Manabu scared him off, hahaha!" She laughed, putting her fists on her hips and puffing her chest out, her nose in the air. Yuriye smiled weakly, rubbing the back of her neck before she looked at Hyota.

"You might wanna let him go soon, I don't think he can breath." She pointed out quietly as Manabu's face turned blue. Hyota blinked, then laughed and let go so Manabu stumbled a little, having Mayu catch him and help him stand, catching his breath.

"That was a miserably awkward detour," Nakusu muttered dryly, "But that does not mean we get a break. We must continue, besides, we are almost to the Land of Snow."

"How can you tell?" Miwa asked, but stopped as something cold touched her nose. She blinked and looked up as well as everyone else to see white flakes of snow falling from the light gray sky. Miwa beamed and thrust her arms up, opening her mouth and letting a snowflake flutter in.

"Awesome! I've never seen snow before!" She cried excitedly. Hyota laughed.

"You haven't? It's the best thing ever! You can make snowmen, have snowball fights, and make snow angels! And when you go inside, it's nice hot chocolate and miso soup! You're gonna love it!"

"I can tell I am!" Miwa laughed with him as they tried to catch snowflakes on their tongues. Nakusu watched for a moment before looking up and giving Yuriye's hand a squeeze.

"It's so pretty," Yuriye murmured as she held her other hand out, catching some flakes of white snow on her palm, watching them slowly melt into droplets of water, "I bet this mission won't be so bad after all, huh, Nakusu?" She looked at him and smiled. He looked down and smiled back at her, giving a nod. Mayu felt a small smile come across her face as she held her hand out to collect a little bit of snow, then looked down to see it dotting Manabu's hair, a snowflake landing on his pink nose. Manabu blinked, crossed his eyes to look at it, then looked at Mayu as she laughed, brushing the snow from his hair.

"Haha, you liking the snow?"

"It's really cold… Does it always snow like this here?"

"Of course, that's why it's called the Land of the Snow, well, sorta. We're not quite there yet, but trust me, there's more of this stuff when we get there. At least a foot to two feet of it, mountains capped and rivers frozen over. It's actually very beautiful, maybe a little nostalgic sometimes." Mayu explained softly, looking around at the snow slowly, her lilac eyes almost glowing. Manabu stared at her, then looked at the snow collecting on their clothes before he nodded slowly.

"Well," Nakusu said at last, getting everyone's attention, "There is no time to waste as Prince Hyota's parents are bound to be worrying where he is. Come." Everyone nodded and shot off into the trees as the snow swirled through the air, the icy bitter wind curling like long fingers, tugging on trees and clothes. The closer and closer the group got to the Land of Snow, the wintry it got as the snow seemed to come down faster in a blur of pure white, cutting through all the gray and pine green trees. The ground disappeared beneath layers and layers of thick white frost and snow.

"Ack, the snow is cold!" Miwa complained as she brushed her hair over her pink ears, snuggling her face down into her cloak as they walked along a frozen over river, although, the sound of it still moving beneath was still heard. Manabu merely nodded and let Miwa walk close to him so their shoulders bumped together. Nakusu kept his hand clasped with Yuriye's as she closed her eyes tightly against the icy wind. Mayu pulled the hood of her cloak up, pulling her hair forward and adjusting her cloak, her eyes scanning the snowy mountain range. Hyota seemed to be the only one okay with the cold air, laughing as he put his arms out, running along the shore of the river.

"I don't see what you guys are complaining about, I love it here! I've missed the snow so much! That old man's place was so hot with that stream of hot lava! I never wanna go near hot stuff again, oh, except curry. That doesn't count… Mmm, curry! I'll ask my mom and dad for curry when we get back, it'll warm you guys right up! Oh, and sakura tea! And oden too! I could really go for some boiled eggs!" He sang happily, spinning around through the snow as he looked up at the sky, but stopped to see Mayu stopping and turning to face the river.

"It seems while you were away the bridge was destroyed," She noted as she bent down to reach through the snow with a gloved hand, tearing free a rotted piece of wood, "And this river could go on and on until it reaches the sea, which will take us days to reach. We might as well cross here."

"Isn't that a little unsafe, though?" Yuriye asked nervously as she peered over into the frozen river, seeing the dark water rushing past underneath. Mayu shrugged.

"It'll save time. I'll go first, just to make sure it's safe if that makes you feel better about it."

"Not really."

"I will go first," Nakusu volunteered, making Yuriye protest, but he looked at her, "We have to get this mission over with and successful. It will be fine, Yuriye."

"Nakusu…"

"Trust me." Nakusu replied, making Yuriye stare at him before leaning in and kissing him firmly on the cheek. Nakusu blushed, feeling some of the cold melt away from his face before he turned toward the river. Mayu frowned.

"Be careful, Nakusu. If you fall in, you'll sooner die of hypothermia than anything."

"How comforting," Nakusu replied sarcastically, making Mayu huff before he turned back, "I will be fine." He stepped out onto the ice and it made an odd groaning sound, but did not crack. He took a couple steps and waited for a sound, but nothing happened. He kept walking until he reached the other side, then turned back, nodding, but pointing to the part where the ice groaned.

"Step over that area there. It is weak and could give way, otherwise, follow my footprints in the snow." He commanded. The group nodded and Mayu went next, stepping over the spot in the ice and walking calmly and swiftly, coming next to Nakusu. Yuriye cautiously stepped over the ice and moved carefully so she stepped exactly in each print Nakusu left behind before she made it to the other side, immediately grabbing onto Nakusu's arm and grimacing down at the ice.

"Me next!" Hyota sang and immediately stepped onto the ice in Nakusu's footprint, making Mayu, Nakusu, and Yuriye wince. He easily pranced across the ice and whipped around, going up and down on the balls of his feet beside Mayu, who sweat dropped.

"Nothing gets you down, does it?" She asked. Hyota just smiled at her obliviously as Nakusu looked over at the twins.

"You guys can go, but one at a time." He called, gesturing over. Manabu looked at Miwa, who looked back at him.

"You go first, Miwa-"

"No, you go first!"

"Miwa-"

"If you don't go first, I'll tell mom and that you kept that squirrel under your bed for two years." Miwa threatened, holding a fist up in his face. Manabu blushed, yelping a little before nodding hurriedly and turning around, looking down at the ice. He carefully stepped over the weak spot and walked a few steps, but the ice groaned and creaked, making his eyes widen.

"Manabu, run!" Mayu shouted and Manabu bolted across, leaping up off the last crack before the ice grunted and gave way to thick chunks rushing by as the river seemed to break off. Miwa winced and leapt back as water splashed up. Manabu looked up in horror.

"Miwa! I told you! You should've gone first!" He cried desperately, clenching his fists, but Miwa gritted her teeth.

"I'm on my way!" She yelled, eyeing the floating chunks of ice that broke apart and rushed on by through the dark murky water.

"Miwa, do not! You do not know if those pieces are stable!" Nakusu warned, taking a step toward the river, but stepped back as water splashed up over the ledge. Miwa ignored him and smirked, narrowing her eyes as she took a couple steps back before running and jumping over. Manabu yelped and started to go after, but Mayu grabbed him by his hood and held him back as Miwa leapt onto a chunk of ice that immediately cracked as she landed, but she pushed off quickly and landed on another.

Miwa leapt from one piece to another, being carried down only slightly before she went to jump on the ledge, her foot slipping on the snow there. She gasped and flailed her arms, only to have Manabu rip free from Mayu's loosening grip. Manabu grabbed Miwa by her hands and tore her forward so they both fell back into the snow, Miwa on top of her brother.

"Miwa!" Manabu gasped and sat up, hugging her tightly. Miwa blushed and scowled, breaking free to put her fists on her hips.

"I wasn't gonna die! I'm a ninja!" She protested in annoyance. Manabu threw his hands up.

"You're a dummy!" He cried. Miwa twitched and pushed her lips into a comical pout.

"You're a dummy!" She retorted before heaving herself to her feet, helping Manabu up as they turned to face the rest of the group. Nakusu and Yuriye sighed in relief as Mayu shook her head, patting her cheeks to regain some of the color back before a voice alerted them.

"Look, look, look! It's the palace!" Hyota cried, jumping up and down and pointing into the trees at the mountains. Everyone's eyes followed Hyota's waving finger and sure enough, the palace was in sight as well as parts of the village around it. The palace was huge, reaching almost six stories high in front of a tall mountain and it was designed with steel and some blue painted metal as village huts sat around it, stables for animals the closest part of it.

Hyota happily bolted ahead, making Mayu and Nakusu wince and hurry after, Yuriye at Nakusu's side. Miwa and Manabu shared looks before racing after. Hyota laughed excitedly as he ran up to the pens where shaggy chestnut, gray, and white horses trotted around, munching on bales of hay placed outside the stables. A white, gray spotted horse cantered up to the fence and nickered, shaking its head so its silvery mane was free of the falling snow.

"Oh, I haven't seen horses in so long! Konohagakure didn't have any horses, can you believe that?" He cried to the horse as if it understood. The creature only stared with warm chocolate eyes before leaning its head out, nuzzling Hyota's hair and giving a cheerful whinny. Hyota laughed and hugged the horse, kissing it between the eyes before leaning back as the group caught up with him.

"Wow," Miwa exclaimed in awe, her purple eyes wide, "I've never seen a horse before! It's beautiful!" Manabu just stared at it a bit uneasily at how huge it was and kept a safe distance away from the fence as Miwa ran up to the fence, holding up a hand as the horse turned its head to investigate who the stranger was. Miwa giggled as the horse's nose seemed to tickle her hand before it tossed its head, giving another excited whinny and making Manabu jump.

Hyota grinned before his eyes drifted to the side and he saw the main gates to the village, his arms going up and he began to run, but Mayu caught the back of his cloak.

"Whoa there, hold up. Calm down, don't rush ahead. We have to stick together, especially since none of us know this village as well as you do." She explained and Hyota blinked before nodded as he let the words sink in. After a few minutes of Miwa cooing and petting the dapple-gray, the group began to move to the gates. The shinobi there, wearing headbands with four scattered dots, seemed to recognize Hyota immediately and dropped their spears to bow their heads, getting on one knee.

"Prince Owari Hyota! King and Queen Owari are expecting you! Let us lead you!" They cried in unison. Hyota beamed, jumping up a little with excitement as he thrust his arms out at his sides.

"Sure thing! Cuz these guys don't know where they're going! Er, not that they didn't, it's just that they don't know the village!" He laughed and the shinobi nodded before picking up their weapons and turning, leading the way into the snow covered village of Yukigakure.

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**A/N: Wow, that took a bit longer than I would have liked, but I had so much fun writing this! Ah, yes, I know that in the Land of Snow movie that Yukigakure basically doesn't exist anymore and that the Land of Snow was changed to Land of Spring, but this going by the manga, so yea xP I think that's about it, so thank so very much for reading, hope the characters are in check, and your reviews are highly appreciated!**


	35. Chapter 35

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own as well as The Peach Tree Trio!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Five: **The Prince's Homecoming! It's A Celebration! **

The palace was warm inside after walking up some twenty-nine flights of steps before entering a large pair of iron doors. Walking in was a large, what looked like, a ballroom! Posts were stuck up everywhere with flames that burned brightly while at the center was a large pit of what looked like a bonfire. The floor was made of some kind of smooth, blue and white stone as huge matching pillars shot into the floor of the second story, which could be seen by simply looking up as it was mostly just a balcony going around the top of the main room. Across from the fire pit were a pair of large doors that the group of Konohagakure shinobi soon found themselves led through into an elaborate throne room, nobles of the village lined up along the sides, all talking together before looking up.

All at once, a scream of joy erupted from the woman sitting on the white throne of the room, her long ice blue hair done up in a bun with a fan pinned to the back while her long white and silver jūnihitoe billowing around her, tears welled up and streaming from chocolate eyes.

"My baby!" She wailed and immediately threw her arms around Hyota, who yelped a bit in surprise before smiling as he snuggled up against his mother, hugging her in turn as he closed his eyes pleasantly. Miwa stared, eyes wide before she looked at Manabu to see his reaction, but she was surprised to see a faint, sad smile on his face. Nakusu kept his expression rather blank while Yuriye and Mayu smiled happily. The queen sniffled and stifled her sobs as she repeatedly kissed on her son, petting him and holding him close before she looked up at them.

"Thank you, thank you very much." She whispered and held Hyota longer while the nobles around the throne room clapped and the women waved their fans in their faces, wiping tears of joy from their face. Still sitting in his throne with a look of surprise was the king, a white-haired man with almost sad blue eyes, wearing a sokutai made of deep blues and lighter blues. He rose up to his feet and the queen glanced up, still holding Hyota for a moment before slowly letting him slip from her arms as he stepped forward.

Much to, probably the shinobi's surprise, Hyota raced forward and almost tackled the man at the head of the throne room, hugging the king tightly. The king held onto his son as well and tears did not go unnoticed as he clung to his son for dear life, whispering something that no one could hear and making Hyota hold onto him tighter.

After a moment of greetings and thanks, the king looked up and spread his arms toward the shinobi, who looked up.

"Welcome shinobi of Konohagakure! Many, many thank yous and blessings upon you for bringing my son, the Prince of Yukigakure, back to us! As thanks, we wish for you to stay one night here and be blessed with our greatest hospitalities and are given a grand feast!" He announced, now smiling, revealing defined crow's feet in the corner of his eyes. Nakusu frowned and opened his mouth to decline, as he had enough of all this emotional drama and snow, but Mayu spoke first with a big smile on her face.

"Of course, Your Majesty! We would be very grateful!" She replied cheerfully, earning a little scowl from Nakusu, which she easily ignored as the king nodded.

"Well, then! Servants, see to it that our guests are properly settled in and comfortable before we call for dinner!" He declared and everyone clapped, although, Hyota just cheered, throwing his arms up and laughing happily.

**Later…**

"The view from here is gorgeous," Yuriye breathed, placing a hand on her chest as she leaned against the window, watching the snow swirl through the air and down on the village, "Oh, Nakusu, you have to see this!" Nakusu tucked his shoes in the closet, standing up as he tried to will away the pounding vein in his forehead and the pink in his cheeks.

_That woman… Mayu-sensei is insane. If my father finds out that I'm sharing a room with Yuriye, he'll kill me… Oh gods, as well as her father too! What was Mayu-sensei thinking when she told the servants to stick us in a room together?_ He thought in annoyance, but it faded away as he walked up beside Yuriye at the window, staring at the breathtaking view below from the palace. He relaxed as Yuriye took his hand and leaned on his shoulder.

"This is a nice place… We should come back here again, just to visit… I'm sure Hyota would like that." She added and tried not to giggle as she felt a shiver course through Nakusu's body and he shook his head.

"To visit the village, not the prince." He muttered, then looked up as a knock came on the door. He frowned and allowed them to enter, revealing a pair of servants, holding two pairs of clothing.

"Our king requested that we give you some of our finest dining outfits. We hope you are pleased." They said together with big smiles, bowing, placing them on the beds, then bowing again and leaving the room. Yuriye's eyes widened as she walked over and picked up the kimono laid out on the bed.

"Oh my goodness, this has got to be expensive! The king is so very thoughtful, we have to thank him before we leave." She murmured in awe at the gorgeous splay of a winter scenery on a rosy pink background, a red obi draped along side it. Nakusu stared for a while, then made his way over to the bed, cocking a brow as he reached down and lifted up the pale blue hakuma designed with white and silver swirls. He lowered it and sighed.

"I just wish to get this over with. I have a bad feeling in the pit of my gut."

"Hm? What about?"

"I do not know." Nakusu muttered, clenching his fists over the material of the clothing tightly. Yuriye looked at him sadly, then walked over and turned his face to hers, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"It's all right, Nakusu… Everything's going to be okay." She said softly. Nakusu stared at her for a while, then nodded slowly before looking out the window as Yuriye picked up the kimono readying for dinner. He watched the sky darken, snow ripping around through the bitter air, part of his reflection staring back at him.

_Something's going to happen… I know it…_

**Meanwhile…**

"This place is freaking awesome," Miwa whooped as she jumped up and down on her bed, flailing her arms and trying to touch the ceiling, "We have to convince mom and dad to move to Yukigakure! We just have to!" Manabu sweat dropped, then looked over at the outfit's the servants had brought by moments ago. He picked up the snowy hakuma delivered to him with a slate colored top to go with it before looking at Miwa's, a brilliantly designed kimono with a midnight pattern and a snow owl swooping across it with silver glitter as snow behind it. He sighed and plopped down in a leather seat across the room, throwing his head back and closing his eyes.

"Miwa, are you… Well, are you maybe getting a weird feeling?" He asked. Miwa blinked as she panted for air, plopping down in a cross-legged fashion on the bed, glancing at him.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked after catching her breath, turning so she was lying on her stomach, resting her chin in her hands and her legs moving back and forth, her purple eyes watching Manabu lean forward in the chair.

"I dunno, I just have this weird feeling that something big is about to happen… Soon."

"Oh, you're still just scared because of the whole accident with the river."

"… Maybe. You scared me doing that," Manabu muttered, "We already lost Haruke, I don't want to lose you too." Miwa blinked, then smiled warmly, tilting her head as she dropped an arm across the bed to take Manabu's hand in hers.

"You don't have to worry about that, Manabu. I'm always gonna be with you. We were born together, we'll live together, and we'll die together. I bet you a hundred percent we'll be reborn together too." She said softly. Manabu stared at her, then leaned up off the chair and sat beside Miwa, who sat up and hugged him around the neck, nuzzling against his hair. Manabu hugged her back, closing his eyes and sighing comfortably as he leaned against her.

"Maybe you're right… Come on, we better get dressed and ready for dinner."

"Yay! You're gonna be so cute in that outfit, I just know it! I get to show you off to everyone, including Hyota, on how much of a totally adorable twin brother I have!"

"Oh, jeez, Miwa."

**Meanwhile~**

Hyota raced out of his room into the hallway, listening to some of his maids crying out to him to return, but he kept running with a big smile on his face as his white hair fluttered, dark eyes wide with excitement. His pure white sokutai billowed around him as his bare feet slapped the warm stone flooring. He hurried to the kitchen where chefs were hurriedly working to prepare, bowing whenever they saw him.

"Don't forget to make oden! With extra fishcakes!" He added excitedly, getting laughs and agreements from all the chefs before he hurried out to tell the others, but stopped when he heard a familiar, small voice cry out his name. He blinked and whipped around to see a caramel-haired girl about his age, though, rather short with a spray of freckles across her face and sea blue eyes wide and rimmed with tears. She wore a teal Chinese style dress trimmed with silver.

"Hyota! Hyota, you're back!"

"Yura?" Hyota exclaimed, blushing brightly all the way to his ears. Yura raced over and hugged him tightly, trying not to cry anymore, but she couldn't help it as she hugged him.

"Forgive me for touching you, but I've missed you so much! I thought…! Well, I didn't know what to think!" She cried, pulling away and bowing repeatedly. Hyota felt his face grow as hot as the lava back in that creepy old man's lair as he watched Yura apologize and flail, comical sweat drops flying off her. Hyota beamed after a while.

"I missed you too! I thought about you every day! An-And I bought you a present back from Konohagakure!"

"Whaa- No, you didn't have to do that! I'm just glad you're okay!"

"But, I wanted to! Because…" Hyota let his voice trail and he didn't think his face could get any redder as Yura tilted her head, looking a bit confused. Hyota shifted uncomfortably, bringing his long billowy white sleeves up over his mouth as he tried to hide his face.

"Uhm… Because… Well… I…" He felt like he was going to cry now in distress. Yura was so adorable, looking at him with those round sea blue eyes, curiosity and confusion on her face. He was on the verge of having a heart attack! Hyota merely whimpered past his sleeves and Yura looked worried now.

"What's wrong, prince? Are you all right?"

"N-No, I mean yes, I mean, maybe! Oh, Yura," Hyota moaned, covering his face with his sleeves, "I like you…" Yura blinked and smiled.

"Well, I like you too, prince!"

"No, I mean, I like you like you!"

"Huh?"

"I don't know what to do!" Hyota whined, feeling the sting of tears prick his eyes as he tried to remember what he had learned from watching Nakusu and Yuriye, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized, he was nothing like Nakusu.

He wasn't a powerfully ranked ninja.

He wasn't superbly intelligent.

He didn't carry any marks of battle.

He didn't even know what birth was!

He was nothing, but a stupid, spoiled little prince without any real personality! Hyota shook his head quickly and turned around.

"Sorry, I gotta go find my mom and tell her I changed some of the meals! Bye!"

"Huh? But, Hyota!" Yura cried, watching as Hyota raced down the hallway. Hyota ran until he came to a corner, rounding it and smashing into someone. He jerked his head up, his eyes following up a gorgeous pattern of light purples and blues swirling around as an ocean-like scene on a navy kimono.

"Prince Hyota- Aw, what's with the tears?" Mayu asked worriedly, bending down and wiping a thumb under one of Hyota's eyes. Hyota sniffled tearfully, rubbing at his eyes and hiccupping.

"I'm stupid! So, so stupid!"

"Oh, now why would you say that?"

"C-Cuz! I-I'm not as smart and strong and cool as Nakusu! Y-Yura will never like meee!" Hyota wailed and hiccupped again, almost biting his tongue. Mayu pouted, resting her hands on her knees as she stayed bent over before reaching out and brushing some of Hyota's hair from his face.

"Well, of course you're not like Nakusu. You're funny, optimistic, and very handsome, Prince Hyota. You're like a ball of sunshine! Every woman wants a man who'll make her happy, make her laugh. It's what we look forward to every day." She smiled, stroking Hyota's hair. Hyota blinked and looked up at her, sniffling a little.

"Really?"

"Yes," Mayu murmured, then seemed to smile a bit more sadly, "Very much so. Now go on back to her and you tell her how you feel, got it? Tell her you love her, give her the present you bought her. Make her smile, Hyota. That should be your new goal in life, to make that girl smile." Hyota sniffled a little more, then beamed up at her.

"You're right, Mayu-sensei! You're very right!"

"Of course I am." Mayu smirked as Hyota laughed before waving at her, calling back a thank you as he took off down the hallway. Mayu sighed, watching the boy run before she looked out the window and shiver raced up her spine, making her frown.

_Why do I have this bad feeling all of a sudden…?_ She wondered, taking her chin between her forefinger and thumb, watching the snow fall out the when she saw something white moving toward the window. She blinked and her eyes widened. In a split second, there was a loud squawk followed by a crash as an owl smashed into the window, making Mayu cry out in surprise, leaping back in time to smash into a maid, who yelped in horror, dropping her things.

"Oh my god!" The maid cried.

"What the…?" Mayu ran to the window with the maid as they looked out to see the owl lying dead on the roof shingles, it's white feathery corpse stained with red. Mayu stumbled away, covering her mouth and taking on an expression of disgust and horror as the maid wailed, leaping back.

"This is bad! So very bad!"

"What are you talking about?" Mayu demanded. The maid looked at her with horrified green eyes, her fingers tangled in her curly dark hair.

"The snow owl is most sacred in our village! Whenever one dies, it means bad luck! I have to tell the king!" She whirled around and raced down the hallway. Mayu stared after her before turning back to the window, staring out at the poor owl that was slowly being covered with a pile of snow. She cringed, clenching her fists against the sill.

_Superstitions… That's all… I can't let myself be tangled up with that…_

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**A/N: I apologize for how short and stuff this is :D But I wanted to update at least something today! Don't worry, it's the weekend now which means there should be updates a'comin'! I also noticed that I made Manabu and Miwa seem a little more intimate than just twins… idk if that's just me or what o.o; Mah bad xD Well, I believe that's all! Thank you so very much for reading, hope the characters are in check, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	36. Chapter 36

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own as well as The Peach Tree Trio!**

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Chapter Thirty-Six: **A Truly Memorable Dinner Incident! That Bad Feeling!**

The dining room was huge, almost as big as the throne room with a long, U-shaped table set low on the ground with countless silk pillows lined on the outside for people to kneel on. Mountains and mountains of food sat on the table, going up and down, even a small mechanical device similar to a train was moving along the table with a numerous amount of sauces. Everyone filed in with the nobles as well. The shinobi sat closest to the king and queen at the head of the table with their beloved son, Hyota to their left.

A trio of musicians also arrived to provide entertainment as they began to play their instruments, the female of the group making a gentle 'ahhhh' sound over and over again, ranging from high to low in pitch.

The perfect, royal dinner.

Chopsticks gently clicked on the plates as everyone ate, the room a hum with conversations as the music filled the air. The king smiled every so often as his son sat beside him, laughing and telling him everything about his outrageous adventure, his capture, and his escort home. The queen gasped every so often, clasping a hand over her mouth, sweat dropping, flailing, and sighing miserably.

"No, no, no! it is much too unsafe for my son to be outside like that! I told you, I told you it was a bad idea to let him go on that travel!" She squawked at her husband, pointing her chopsticks at him menacingly. King Owari sighed, shaking his head as he leaned away from the chopsticks.

"Darling, you see this all the time with royalty figures. Why, it also happened recently to Priestess Mizu of Ketsukigakure. What we should've done was hire more protection."

"Never! The palace is the only safe place for my baby!"

"Moooom!" Hyota complained, blushing as he shifted around in his seat, though he was grinning thoughtfully up at the ceiling.

"I'm sure your village is safe, though," Mayu pointed out as the King and Queen glanced over curiously, "You seem to have a relatively well placed amount of guards, so just send one around with Hyota so he can go within the village limits. Locking your child up is just going to diminish his social skills."

"Are you saying my son has bad social skills?" The queen demanded and the king waved a hand at her before looking at Mayu with a nod.

"I understand. That idea sounds very good to me. I see you've noticed Hyota's a bit different from most teenagers his age." He sighed and Miwa, Manabu, and Nakusu choked on their food. Mayu sweat dropped, laughing meekly as she smacked a hand on Miwa's back to make her cough up her food.

"Aha, different? All teenagers are unique, Your Majesty."

"Different as in he's the only kid who doesn't know what birth was," Miwa snorted as she picked a piece of chicken out of her tooth with her nail, flicking it at the plate and getting dirty look from both Manabu and Nakusu, "I learned that when I was six-years-old!"

"How young! Your parents must neglect you!" The queen cried and Miwa cocked a brow.

"What would you give me if I said they did?"

"Miwa!" Manabu snapped, elbowing her and glaring as she smiled sheepishly, twisting her finger around in her dimple innocently. The king blinked, then looked at the queen with a glare, tapping his chopsticks on the side of the plate. Hyota snapped out of his stupor and pouted dramatically, thrusting out his lower lip.

"Hey, I know what birth is! You said it was like a mommy dog having puppies! I saw a mommy dog have puppies before!" He protested and several people cried out and gasped in disgust and confusion. The queen cried out and comically toppled over, throwing up her chopsticks while the king twitched and looked at Hyota. Miwa clapped her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"Very different." Mayu muttered and quickly popped a wad of noodles into her mouth to stifle anymore comments. Nakusu smacked his forehead while Yuriye rubbed the back of her neck.

"I apologize," The king told everyone before looking at the shinobi, "Nevertheless, I cannot thank you enough for rescuing and returning my only son. He is the heir to this palace and to the village… He's worth about several million ryo."

The singer's voice cracked into a screech of 'WHAAAT?'

"I beg your pardon…!" The queen shot back up to glare, then clapped her hands to her cheeks as the singer twitched, clenching a fist while adjusting her round, black-framed glasses.

"That much? Are you freaking kidding me? Kompeito, you bastard! You let that squirt steal several million dollars from you? Do you LIKE being useless?" She roared, whipping around and snatching the flute from Kompeito's lips, bopping him repeatedly on the head with it. He just winced and clasped his hands over his head. The shinobi were on their feet as well as the nobles and the royal family, only the latter was cowering in fear on the other side of the room.

"You freaks again? Didn't we teach you a lesson before?" Miwa snarled viciously, making Momoko flail and whip around, pointing the flute at them.

"Get back! This is a highly dangerous weapon and I'm not afraid to use it!" She threatened, crouching a little for effect as Gyokuro and Kompeito got to their feet. The queen shrieked in fear.

"Have mercy! Don't kill us! Shinobi of the Leaf, I'm willing to pay you to rid us of these terrifying kidnappers!" She wailed, pulling on her hair. The king stared at her as he held Hyota in his arms, a deadpan, comical expression of annoyance on his face as his eye twitched. Hyota squirmed, puffing out one of his cheeks as he tried to escape his father's death grip, but it was a complete fail.

"Did you say money?" Miwa asked, her nose twisting as if she could just smell the cash now, her eyes flipping repeatedly into money signs like a slot machine. Manabu poked her between the eyes.

"Miwa!"

"Money?"

"NO! I said- Never mind."

"We were already on that, Your Highness," Mayu announced, then whipped around to face the intruders with a dining knife in her grip and a plate in the other, "This is going to be as easy as it was last time."

"No," Momoko shouted, putting a fist on her hip and smirking as she kept the flute elevated and pointed, "If you attack us, everyone in this room will die. Before you fools came in, I had Gyokuro set up countless paper bombs all over this room. Look up." She pointed and the shinobi jerked their heads up, several of the nobles and the queen shrieking in terror at the huge mass of papers floating above their heads.

"How did we miss that?" Mayu asked herself, scratching the side of her head. Miwa glared at Nakusu, who winced.

"I thought you were the smart one!" She accused. Nakusu glared, clenching a fist.

"I did not think of it! I had other, more important matters on my mind, not this worthless group of posers!"

"Thinking of your girlfriend naked isn't more important than this!"

"It is- I MEANT NO!" Nakusu barked, feeling red fill up his face when he heard Hyota coo a dramatic 'ooooo'. Yuriye smacked her forehead and Miwa smirked tauntingly. Momoko twitched and stomped her foot, flailing the flute around before throwing it at Mayu's feet.

"HEY! I'm over here, you dunderheads! Listen to me! Hand over the Prince! And the Uchiha and nobody gets hurt!" She yelled as Mayu stooped over, picking up the flute to stare at it before breaking it in half easily with her forefinger and thumb. Everyone sweat dropped.

"I thought that was a dangerous weapon." Manabu said.

"It was a lie, you adorably gullible fool!" Momoko barked and Miwa glared at her, thrusting a finger in her direction, a pink blush evident on her face to match her rage.

"Hey, you rotten little brat! Back the hell off! Nobody can go near Manabu OR give him cute nicknames without my permission!"

"How was that cute?" Yuriye asked with a sweat drop as Manabu stiffened, feeling his face grow outrageously warm as he merely shook his head in disbelief and embarrassment. Momoko merely laughed and Miwa was off. She snatched the broken flute up off the ground and rushed forward at Momoko, who yelped, reeling away.

"GAH! NO! Stop or I'll set off the bombs!"

"MIWA!" Mayu and Nakusu yelled in unison. Miwa ignored them with a smirk spread across her face in a cat-like manner as she pushed up off the ground and did a flip to get near Momoko for an aerial attack. Momoko shrieked.

"Gyokuro! Kompeito!" She screamed. Gyokuro moved first, lunging to grab Miwa's foot, but he tripped over his drums and fell face first on the tiles, denting it inwards. Kompeito sweat dropped, then jerked his head up, his mismatched eyes flashing as he shot up off the ground, picking up another flute and aiming to smack Miwa in the face, but she swung half of her own flute up to deflect, getting knocked off course so she went back through the air and used her chakra to stick to a huge column a few feet away. Kompeito landed on the ground in front of Momoko, who sighed in relief before laughing in a smug manner with her fists on her hips, some pink in her face.

"Hohoho! Looky that! You're all bark and no bite!" She retorted as Gyokuro struggled to get to his feet and Kompeito looked at his flute before looking over at Momoko, making a gesture with his hands. Momoko stared, glared, then grunted and thrust her finger out toward Hyota.

"Gyokuro! Grab the prince! And my future husband! Any false moves and this palace will crush you all!" She laughed maniacally while Kompeito merely sighed and cocked his head. Gyokuro nodded and stomped toward the cowering nobles. The shinobi glared, all tense and wanting so badly to crush the old, buff man who purposing puffed out his hairy chest as he passed Mayu with a wink. Mayu twitched and glared at him, clenching a fist and taking a step forward, but Yuriye put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head. Mayu sighed, frustrated as she watched Gyokuro near the screaming queen, shaking king, and flailing Hyota. Then it happened.

Miwa flung her arm out to the side, the sharp end of the broken flute zooming at Gyokuro's leg and snatching him right in the back of the knee, so blood sprayed onto the tiles. The queen screeched and gasped, falling over into the nobles behind her. Miwa smirked and looked over in time for Momoko and Kompeito to look at her. She pushed off the column and raced for Kompeito, who took a step back before doing a flip to avoid a slash. He looked at Momoko to nod quickly. Momoko nodded back and lit a match, a wide grin on her face as she held it up for all to see.

"FINE! Uchiha, bring me the prince or I'll have you blown to bits!" She shouted threateningly at Nakusu, who twitched. Mayu grimaced and looked at Nakusu, who looked back at her. They nodded, but in that moment, Miwa pushed up off the ground and shot into the air, flipping backwards to avoid a slice with Kompeito's flute. Miwa's purple eyes sailed, watching the ceiling pass by an inch in front of her face rather dramatically before things seemed to stop for a split second, a violin seemed to scratch and cut right into the music that was playing in her head.

"What the… HELL? THESE ARE FAKE!" She yelled angrily and quickly spun around, snatching a handful of the fake paper bombs off the ceiling and landing on the ground amongst her teammates, holding up the wad while flailing her free arm as Kompeito landed by Momoko with a sheepish look.

"Fake…! That means…" Mayu turned around to face Momoko and Kompeito, her eye twitching in annoyance despite the very devious smirk hit her face and she cracked her knuckles.

"That's it, I'm sick and tired of messing around with these clowns."

"I could not agree more." Nakusu muttered bitterly and turned to face Momoko and Kompeito, Momoko wailing in terror and thrusting her arms up. The shinobi started forward, Miwa gripping her broken flute tightly when a voice cut through the air.

"Stop!" Kompeito cried and Miwa stopped all right, her jaw dropping and her eyes bugging while the other shinobi did as well. Mayu's eyes widened as she put a hand over her mouth in awe while Yuriye felt her cheeks color pink. The queen recovered in that moment as well as the nobles, all of them flying forward and shaking their rumps with throbbing pink hearts for their eyes as they flailed.

"I recognize that handsome voice anywhere," The queen screamed joyously, making a kissy form with her lips, "That voice belongs to none other than Kajiwara Kaimu otherwise known as Otoshi from the _Icha-Icha Paradise_ _2 _movie! Kyaaa!" Kompeito blushed, now holding up the flute rather defensively. Momoko stared at him in awe herself, even Gyokuro, who's jaw was dropped and his hands weren't even grasping at his bloody knee anymore.

"Y-You spoke! I thought you were mute!" Momoko managed and Kompeito looked at her apologetically.

"I am sorry," He said, making the gestures before lowering his hands to turn the shinobi group, "I just felt no need to talk, especially when I got the same reaction every time."

"But… _Icha-Icha _is for adults and you still look too young to play an actor!" Mayu protested, although, she had to smile. The boy could easily be an actor, even a prince himself! And his voice sounded wonderful, like an angel's! 'Kompeito' blushed a little more before reaching up and digging his nails into his face, surprising everyone as he pulled and a layer of rubbery looking skin peeled up, falling to the floor.

Several of the noblewomen screamed in adoration, flailing their arms and on the verge of stampeding if Gyokuro wasn't still in their way. Miwa felt her own eyes pop into hearts as she squealed.

Away with the black eyeliner markings and snaggletooth, though his violet hair remained along with his mismatched eyes. Instead, his face was a smooth, creamy color with eyeliner only on the bottom lid in a thin manner, appearing about in his mid-twenties.

"I'm told I'm a good actor." He answered, dropping the rest of the visage to the ground in a clump.

"Hell yea," Miwa gushed, clasping her hands and immediately taking a step closer so she was probably a foot away, "Hey, hey! You know I was just kidding right? About killing you before? You can go ahead and take whoever you want so long as I can take you." She winked and Kaimu sweat dropped, giving a meek smile as he closed his eyes, holding a hand up to defend, but the women in back screamed in disbelief.

"NO!"

"Take me, Kajiwara-sama! Take me!"

"No, not her, take me!"

"Are you mad? Take me!"

"Take a woman, not a girl!"

"Shove off!" Miwa snarled, whipping around and clenching a fist. Mayu dropped her head to look down, sweat dropping while Nakusu rolled his eye in annoyance. Manabu glared, folding his arms over his chest, but not saying a thing. Yuriye gulped down a lump in her throat, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers.

"So why would you want to steal the prince for ransom money if you are already an actor? I am positive they receive a good enough pay." Nakusu stated at last, making everyone go silent for a moment. Kaimu blinked, then smiled weakly.

"You see, I get very bored with my job from time to time. I get stressed, all those people suffocating me, my father disappointed in me for not going after the dream he strived for, to be a shinobi, having to try and compete with my mother, who you probably know as Kawaii Maiko. I may have gotten a lot of money for it, but most of it went to buying those ugly clothes, makeup, another house, more servants. It was all a waste of my time and I wanted to do something fun, so I used my acting skills and the ninja skills from my father to run away from the set. I met Momoko stealing from a cart and she told me what she wanted to do, so I joined along with it. We found Gyokuro and he was like a father to us. I felt right with them… Besides, I've always wanted to act in a comedy." He added with a grin, making Momoko sweat drop and Gyokuro chuckle.

"Well, I guess that makes sense…" Manabu mumbled, averting his eyes.

"You should consider the real life matter, though," Mayu pointed out firmly while holding up a finger matter-of-factly, "You may be young and famous, but you banded together with two complete idiots to kidnap a highly respected royal family. That's against the law and you could've gotten arrested."

"Could have?" Nakusu demanded, clenching a fist angrily as Mayu turned to him with a giggle, waving her had in her face as she blushed, closing her eyes sweetly.

"Oh, come now, we can't arrest such a handsome man, can we?" She asked. Nakusu twitched.

"Mayu-sensei-"

"Thank you very much," Kaimu rushed in, tilting his head sweetly and clasping his hands together, "If you'd like, we can all get back to dinner and enjoy the rest of our time here at the Yukigakure Palace."

"But-"

"YES, OF COURSE!" The women shrieked and rushed forward to plead and beg for autographs, leaving Nakusu, Yuriye, Manabu, Gyokuro, and Mayu to stay behind with sighs.

"Ridiculous," Nakusu muttered bitterly, folding his arms over his chest, "This must be the most idiotic mission I have ever gone on since the cat mission back before I was an Anbu… I do not want to waste my time here much longer. We will eat, rest until mid morning before leaving… I have a strong feeling we will not be getting to sleep easily in this palace."

"Agreed." The others muttered in unison.

The rest of the night was just as Nakusu had predicted, no surprise there, as the women ogled and cooed as Kaimu sat around the corner from the King, eating with a smile on his face, nodding and replying while Momoko and a stitched up, healed Gyokuro stuffed their faces with the luxurious meal. Hyota excused himself after a while and scurried from the dining hall to peer into the kitchen where the servants were working hard to fill orders, others cleaning up messes. In one corner, Yura was happily sweeping up spilled lettuce with a smile on her face, her caramel hair swirling in the ponytail behind her. Hyota blushed at the sight of her before gulping and inching into the kitchen. Yura immediately saw him and beamed.

"Prince Hyota!" She called. All the servants whirled to bow at the waist before returning to work as Hyota walked over to Yura as she set aside the broom to drop her arms at her sides like a soldiers, though her big smile remained.

"Yura, I want to tell you something," Hyota stated as he shifted from foot to foot, trying to force the blush on his face to fade, but it was failing miserably, "Something very important that I've been wanting to tell you for a long time now." Yura blinked, then looked a little worried.

"I'm not gonna be fired, am I?" She asked nervously. Hyota blinked, then flailed, shaking his head rapidly.

"No, no! Never! The opposite! Yura, I love you!" He exclaimed and several servants dropped their pots and pans to turn and stare. Yura blinked and a red blush filled her cheeks as she reached up to cup them in hopes of hiding it.

"L-Love me? B-But I'm just a servant, Prince-"

"I don't care! I'd love you no matter what!"

"Even if I was a man?"

"Yes! … You aren't a man, though, right?"

"No!"

"Even better!" Hyota exclaimed and Yura sighed before giggling, closing her eyes and dropping her hands to reveal her red face.

"Oh, Prince Hyota, you're silly."

"Is that good?"

"Yes, it is." Yura smiled. Hyota beamed and went to tell her of the adventure in the dining hall, but he stopped when he remembered the missing piece to the confession.

"Oh yea! I love you so much, Yura!" He leaned in and kissed her firmly on the lips, closing his eyes and smiling at the same time. All the blood rushed to Yura's face as steam seemed to explode out of her ears, though, she relaxed after a moment and smiled back into the kiss before pulling apart. Hyota grinned at her.

"I love you! You're my girlfriend now, right? Because you love me too!"

"Yes, I do, Hyota… And you're my boyfriend."

"Good! Now… Are you supposed to sleep in my bed or…?"

"I don't really know."

"Neither do I. I didn't think I'd get this far."

"Oh, Hyota…"

**That Night**

Warm water sprayed Nakusu in the face as he stood in the shower of the bathroom connected to the grand bedroom that he shared with Yuriye. He sighed, keeping his eye closed and letting the water soak him before he took a step back, opening his single blue eye. The opposite was sewn shut and useless.

_This mission was horrendous… They treat being a ninja like a game. It is not a game, and damn it, I have a splitting headache. Women have the most obnoxious obsessions… Even Miwa was letting her tongue hang all over the floor. Well, I am sure that Aunt Ruriko and Uncle Itachi will be pleased to hear that._ He thought sarcastically and sighed, closing his eye again as the hot water splashed down on him. He washed himself down before stepping out of the crystal lined shower, reaching for a plush blue towel. He dried himself off and slipped on a pair of dark boxers and a gray pair of pajama pants. He walked to the mirror and took out the white box with a fresh change of gauze and threads.

He took it out and stared at his reflection for a moment, his eye looking himself up and down before locking on his sewn shut right eye. He frowned and reached up, undoing the threads, but the eyelid only came partially opened as the corners were beginning to grow together. He took out the thread and sewed it shut again before placing a gauze pad over it, grabbing his headband and other clothes, walking out.

Yuriye was at the window, sitting on the sill while wearing a rosy nightgown and a red yukata over it. She looked up and smiled lightly, rising to her feet.

"Have a nice shower?"

"Yes."

"Are you mad?"

"No."

"You are."

"No."

"Nakusu." Yuriye stated, walking over and peeking at him. Nakusu stopped putting his clothes back in the suitcase and looking at her before sighing as he turned and plopped down on the bed, falling on his back to look up at the ceiling. Yuriye watched him, blushing lightly, glanced toward the door, then sat down and laid on the bed beside him.

"Yuriye, why do you like me?" Nakusu asked at last. Yuriye blinked and turned her head to look at him, but he kept staring up at the ceiling.

"There are a lot of reasons, Nakusu… You're intelligent, handsome, caring. You seem to know what you're doing all the time and that's good… You're so amazing, I can hardly come with anything else to describe you." She murmured, wondering if it was just her cheeks burning red or if the room was getting hot. Nakusu studied the ceiling for a moment, then rolled over on his side to look at her, propping his head up on his hand as he reached a hand out. Yuriye watched, taking quick notice to how his hand was shaking before it reeled away and Nakusu rolled back over, getting up off the bed. Yuriye frowned and sat up, watching Nakusu go to the other side of the room.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Nakusu sat down in a leather chair, leaning back and closing his eye.

"I do not know… I am tired, maybe."

"Then maybe you should go to bed. You think too much sometimes, you're going to make yourself sick that way… That and not wearing a shirt to bed."

"You want me to wear a shirt?"

"No- I mean yes, yes! Not like that, I mean… Oh, I'm sorry." Yuriye moaned, covering her red face in embarrassment. Nakusu cocked his head, giving a faint smile.

"It is fine, Yuriye. I was teasing." He answered. Yuriye blinked and felt herself blush even more as she watched Nakusu's eye slowly slid shut sleepily. She smiled slowly, cocking her head as she got to her feet, walking over to him. She reached out and ran her fingers through Nakusu's soft, clean navy hair. She sighed at the feel and leaned down, kissing him on top of the head.

"Goodnight, Nakusu…"

**Morning**

"Goodbye, Nakusu! Goodbye, Mayu-sensei! Goodbye, Yuriye! Goodbye, Miwa! Goodbye, Manabu! Goodbye!" Hyota wailed, rubbing his teary eyes as he flailed his long white sleeve. Yura stood at his side, sweat dropping and smiling sadly as she handed Hyota a Kleenex. The shinobi stared with deadpan expressions for a moment before laughing meekly and waving. The rest of the nobles, the Peach Tree Trio, and the King and Queen waved in return, calling out their goodbyes before the shinobi shot off through the clean winter morning, vanishing out of sight.

"Well, that was stressful." Manabu sighed, rubbing his shoulder as they headed past the mountains, taking their time as Mayu walked and did a report at the same time.

"I'm gonna miss Kaimu-sama so much," Miwa sniffled, wiping a tear from her eye dramatically, "He was so handsome and he had the voice of an angel! An angel! I swear that man was made by the gods!"

"Oh, please," Manabu mumbled under his breath, "He was just another actor."

"You're blind!" Miwa retorted and Manabu was ready to reply with 'look who's talking', but he didn't want to bring that up. Miwa was touchy about being blind in her right eye and you wouldn't even be able to tell with her good coordination.

"The sooner we arrive in Konohagakure, the better. That mission took longer than I would have liked. Three days have passed since we left." Nakusu muttered dryly as he reached up to adjust his headband. Yuriye blinked.

"Three days? Really?"

"Yes. I also cannot help, but feel something heavy in the pit of my gut…" Nakusu admitted honestly. Mayu blinked and looked up, glancing at Nakusu out the corner of his eye. Manabu turned to his cousin.

"You too?" He asked. Nakusu frowned at him.

"You?"

"Yea, I just felt like… I dunno, something bad was gonna happen. I just thought it was that whole incident at dinner last night." Manabu answered. Mayu frowned.

"No. I also have a bad feeling, but I don't think it was the incident at dinner last night… I just have this bad feeling that something bad is going to happen. It's got me uneasy, so be on your guard."

"Follow your gut instincts." Yuriye added on, earning a nod from Mayu. Miwa huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Oh, please. You guys are just worrywarts. Maybe you're expecting the Hokage to blow up on someone or maybe you left the stove on at home." She retorted, averting her eyes and frowning crookedly. _Although… I can't help, but feel the same._ She thought in annoyance as she drummed her fingers on her arms. Manabu sighed. Mayu shrugged.

"Could be it." She acknowledged.

"You're getting Alzheimer's, Mayu-sensei." Miwa grinned and Mayu bopped her on the head with her scroll, huffing.

"I'm not that old yet! Jeez, girl!"

"Is the report finished?" Nakusu interrupted their quarreling with his arms folded over his chest, an eyebrow raised. Mayu smirked at Miwa, who stuck her tongue out, before looking at Nakusu and nodding.

"All done, even the little bit about the gut feeling."

"Excellent. Hopefully the Hokage will know what this means…"

**Somewhere in the dark…**

"I can't believe you let me sleep longer than intended! You're useless!" Haruke snarled as he sat up in bed, throwing his arm out and smacking Naoki, who yelped and jumped back, wincing. Zakuro frowned, turning his face to Haruke, who let his hand rest on the breakfast tray that sat in his lap.

"Haruke, don't. Eat your breakfast. You have plenty of time to catch up on your work-"

"No," Haruke growled venomously, then gave the tray a hard shove and caused it to go flying across the room, crashing into a wall, "I'm not hungry! I don't want anything to eat, I want Konohagakure to be destroyed! Gather everyone together! I want the march on Konohagakure to begin!" Zakuro frowned deeply as Naoki gasped in surprise.

"Don't be stupid," He snapped, making Haruke glare daggers at him, "If you do that now, you'll lose for sure. We still need more people and weapons and-"

"You think I care? Those troops are only the main course for Konohagakure! They'll be attacked by the troops and as soon as they think it's all over, we'll send in a second wave and I'll start using my jutsu!"

"You're still not strong enough, Haruke-"

"Screw you, I call the shots here! Naoki, go get everyone together and leave behind a handful of guards to keep this place under control while I get prepared!"

"Yes, Haruke-sama!" Naoki exclaimed and scurried from the room hurriedly as Haruke threw the blankets back and stood up. Zakuro expected him to topple over, but now, to his surprise, Haruke was standing perfectly fine with his head up.

"I'm impressed." He admitted. Haruke huffed and whirled to face him, putting a fist on his hip and giving him a dirty look.

"You should be. I know when I am fine."

"You didn't when you were getting sick from fatigue."

"Shut up or I'll rip your head off."

"Sorry." Zakuro apologized with a frown as Haruke moved to the shelves, grabbing handfuls of dolls in his arms, glancing back at Zakuro with a scowl.

"Don't just stand there, help me get these dolls into the model room. I want them all in there and I want word to be received by a spy to tell me where everyone is positioned in Konohagakure on my mark."

"All right." Zakuro sighed and walked over, grabbing handfuls of the dolls. He and Haruke moved back and forth for almost thirty minutes, moving hundreds of small dolls at a time and throwing them into the room. Haruke walked into his room a last time, grabbing up a handful of dolls off his nightstand. Zakuro watched, recognizing several of the dolls as himself, Hageshii, Naoki, Kinuye, and a couple other of close guards.

"You have dolls of us. I thought you were always bluffing." He replied. Haruke smirked at him and held up a doll of Hageshii.

"I'm not stupid, like him. I never make idle threats, Zakuro. I don't trust any of you. You're just pawns." He responded curtly as he tucked the doll back into his arms. He walked into the model room with Zakuro following at his heels. Haruke got on his knees, excitedly placing the dolls before glancing back at Zakuro.

"You're not going to yell at me for not trusting you?" He asked, amused. Zakuro shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"That isn't my fault. You have every right to distrust people."

"Hmmm… That's why I like you better than Hageshii. You're smart and obedient."

"Haruke, you should be more careful about how you treat Hageshii. He was an S-ranked criminal long before you even thought of destroying Konohagakure. He's probably itching to kill you."

"Yea, right. Hageshii doesn't even know how to kill a fly." Haruke laughed and ignored Zakuro's sigh… And the fact that Hageshii was standing outside the model room door, a dark expression crossing his face as he smirked a bit angrily.

_We'll just see how your plan works out, you little Uchiha snot._ He thought and walked forward to meet with the rest of the troops. Haruke waited, staring in fascination at the model and the millions of dolls he'd set up around. It seemed almost hours before the headset he had set by the model started to crackle. He hurriedly put it on.

"This is Haruke."

"Haruke-sama," Came a panting voice from the other side, "I've got the coordinates of the dolls you've made, I just have to get this Chuunin and Jounin off my tail. They've got me out of the village right now!"

"Idiot, don't lead him here or I'll kill you myself! Give me the coordinates as you run, now!"

"Yes, sir! First coordinate…" Haruke listened and hurriedly moved each doll into place, his eyes moving fast as well as his reflexes. A couple twenty minutes later the model appeared as an exact replica of Konohagakure at that very moment and Haruke laughed.

"HA! Perfect!"

"Haruke-sama, can you please send someone out to help me? This Chuunin is trying to bite me! I think he can smell-"

"Yea, whatever, help's on the way. I'm busy." Haruke ripped the headset off and threw it across the room, ignoring the screams from the other end at the sound of flesh ripping and a battle for life going on. Haruke rose to his feet, laughing excitedly as he brought a thumb to his mouth, biting down and throwing the blood across the village model before making hand signs rapidly. Stream after stream, at least thirty hand signs before Haruke thrust both his hands out and chakra swirled out in symbols that sailed down and traveled along the ground just outside the village model.

"Voodoo Style! Total Possession!" Haruke barked and the symbols glowed brightly before flashing and it seemed to return to normal, save for the symbols that were etched darkly on the outside of the model. Haruke grinned and reached out to open the gates when he heard crackled and a familiar voice come over the headset across the room, making him shoot straight up.

"Haruke? Haruke, this is Roku… Are you there?" Haruke whipped around and snatched up the headset, putting a microphone near his mouth.

"You're screwed, hear me? I've already done the jutsu! Done it! Konohagakure is going to be destroyed! I'll prove it to you!" He shouted and threw the headset at the model as hard as he could, knocking over a building. He smirked for a moment before laughing out loud, almost maniacally.

"Hahahaha! Burn, Konohagakure! Burn and take all your rotten shinobi with you!"

**Konohagakure**

A cold feeling had settled over the village, even the civilians could feel it. Naruto stared out the window to his village, his cerulean eyes staring out over the many buildings to the great wall on the other side before he turned to Sasuke, who placed more reports from recent missions on his desk.

"Sasuke, do you feel uneasy?" Naruto asked at last, frowning. Sasuke glanced up, his expression grim as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Yea, kind of… I thought it was just because of that mission with Ruriko, Itachi, and Osamu."

"No, it's something bigger… I just get this bad feeling, like someone's watching us."

"You're paranoid."

"Hypocrite." Naruto threw back with an eye roll, making Sasuke scowl.

Suddenly, a ear piercing _SHIIING_ cut through the air, like lightening cutting through a chorus of thunder, making the hairs on the back of Naruto's neck stand up as he watched Sasuke's face drain of color. They both ran to the window in time to see a building shudder under a heavy bolt of lightening, thunder crackling furiously overhead, dark clouds seeming to form out of nowhere in the sky, hiding the sun. The building below crumbled slowly, crushing nearby buildings.

"Sasuke…" Naruto managed, his hands shaking. Sasuke stepped away from the window.

"What the hell…?"

"Freak storm…"

"No… No, it's something bigger. I'll alert the others. Naruto, you have to go out there and do something-" Sasuke was cut off as the door to the Hokage's office flew open and Hitsuki Mayu ran in.

"Lord Hokage, there are unknown troops moving in from the northwest! There's about seven-hundred at most!" She informed, grimacing. Naruto whipped around, his eyes going wide.

"Troops… Well, don't just stand there, both of you! Go alert everyone in the village, get the civilians to safety! Mayu, get the Hyuuga clan and the Anbu Black Ops unit out to the front lines immediately! Sasuke, get Ruriko and Itachi and bring them here!"

"Yes, sir!" Mayu responded and whirled around, vanishing from the room while Sasuke started to go to the door before looking back at Naruto, who was grabbing up his Hokage cloak from his chair, pulling it on.

"Naruto, watch it. Don't screw around."

"Same goes to you, bastard."

"Loser." Sasuke muttered and left the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Outside, another bolt of lightening struck into another building, causing it to crash to the ground, civilians running around in fright, their shrill screams reaching high up through the clouds…

**A/N: (: What started out as comedy ends in drama O:! Haruke has finally launched his attack on Konohagakure, the impatient little child, so everyone will be battling! Gore, violence, blood, deaths, and horrifying events are to come! Can you handle it? … Yea, probably :) I'll be updating as fast as I can with this one! Thank you very much for reading, hope the characters are okay, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	37. Chapter 37

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Seven: **The Ultimate Voodoo Jutsu! Haruke's Revenge!**

Civilians raced through the streets for the safety buildings as shinobi ran along side them to keep them protected from the crumbling buildings and troops that now swarmed through the village, slaughtering mercilessly… However, the blades only cut down those wearing or holding the metal plated headband with the Konohagakure symbol etched deeply into it.

Blood splashed to the ground like buckets of red paint being thrown about, buildings and shops being ransacked and torn to pieces. Food was mutilated and niches ripped open, the shinobi of Konohagakure fighting hard to keep the terrorists at bay.

Seconds away from the safety homes before they were destroyed, some invisible force slamming into the side of the cliff, crushing everything and causing rubble to come sailing downwards toward screaming women and children, the men stumbling back and attempting to escape. A boulder sailed toward a family cowering in fear before several clones shot out with loud HIIIIYAAAA's, knocking the boulder into mere dust particles and the user of said clones landing on the ground, standing up straight.

"This place is no longer safe," Hatake Sayuri announced, thrusting an arm out, "Follow my brother, he'll lead you to a safer location underground!" She looked over at Sakumo, who looked up from a young boy he'd scooped up off the ground and nodded. Sakumo waved his hand up and civilians began to submerge into a crowd, following him along the sides of the cliff, his other hand raised and having blocks of rock shoot out from the side of the cliff to avoid falling rubble on the group behind him. Sayuri frowned, then her eyes flashed as she whipped around with a kunai as a couple of enemy shinobi began to move in on her.

"You guy are messing with the wrong village!" She shouted and flung the kunai at them, making them jump apart and lunge at her. Sayuri made a couple hand signs, slamming her hands into the ground before doing a back flip and causing huge stalagmites to shoot from the ground, crashing into the enemies. She skidded back, but wasted no time in hurriedly making more hand signs, thrusting her arm downwards and activating a high-pitched crackling orb of electricity in the palm of her hand. She rushed forward and threw her jutsu forward in time for it to collide through a wall and to the other side, killing another enemy.

She stood up straight, turning around to run back for Sakumo, but she felt a presence behind her, making her stiffen. She went to turn around, but a loud screech, similar to the screech Sayuri had just used, rang out and she leapt back to avoid the spray of blood as her father stepped out from behind the wall, frowning as part of his mask was ripped, his headband tilted up off his eye. Sayuri stared at him.

"Dad-"

"Keep your guard up, Sayuri. Go help Sakumo arrange the civilians."

"Right," Sayuri nodded, crouching to shoot off before she looked at her father a bit worriedly, yet at the same time determined, "Dad, please be careful. You and mom."

"We know." Kakashi replied with a light smile, then watched his daughter shoot off before he whipped around with a kunai, slamming it into an enemy's chest, only to reveal it was a water clone that splashed to the ground. Kakashi frowned, then back flipped away from the creaking, ruined building. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the surrounding areas before he heard a crack. He flipped back again, this time, upside down as he threw an array of shuriken down, catching the enemy off guard.

He landed and went to punch another in the head, but another fist shot out and assaulted it first, making him blink before raised an eyebrow.

"Kotori." He stated and turned to see his wife smirking at him, a cut running along her cheek and her salmon-colored hair a bit disheveled, but otherwise, she seemed okay.

"I'm fine," She spoke first, reaching up to wipe the blood from her cut, wincing only faintly at the sting, "I just came from the east gate and it's a bloodbath. I couldn't even get close to setting a trap there. They were already flowing in, the gates wide open. I don't get it. Why would anyone open the gates?"

"They couldn't have opened by themselves… There are probably spies around here, opening up all the gates ahead of time while we were off guard."

"Leave it to Naruto not to put enough guards on the gates." Kotori muttered bitterly, then her green eyes flashed before she whipped around at the same time Kakashi did, their backs together as several enemies seemed to creep from the shadows.

"No time to chat now," Kakashi told her as he got a kunai ready, his Sharingan brightly activated, "Stay alert and be careful."

"You too." Kotori murmured before she lunged forward, head butting an enemy to the ground before she spun around, slicing her kunai through an enemy's throat. Her foot smashed into a face, her fist swinging up into a gut and her hands weaving hand signs at almost a hundred miles an hour, allowing for stalagmites to make jagged patterns across the ground.

Kakashi slashed and kicked, his hand thrusting through bodies and tossing them aside as he ducked and dodged attacks, setting off paper bombs and using poisoned senbon to down enemies faster.

Meanwhile, not very far away, a dark-haired girl spun around, her Anbu cat mask hanging off her neck as her black cloak was cut through by a stray shuriken. She barked a curse in pain before spinning around with a kunai, stabbing an enemy in the chest harshly, screwing the weapon in before she jerked it out and kicked the enemy back. Another Anbu landed at her side, his dark hair spiky and his face smeared with blood that had the opposite alarmed for a moment.

"Kai!"

"I'm fine, Koyuki. It's not my blood. Are you all right? Haruhi told me you needed help." Kai stated, then glanced at his side in time for their son to appear before standing up straight. His blue Uchiha shirt was stained with thick globs of red blood that ran down to his white shorts, now more of a gray color from fighting. His spiky black hair was a bit longer now and Koyuki sighed a sigh of relief, reaching out to pet his hair.

"Thank goodness you're all right, both of you. Have you seen Kasumi and Akira?" She asked, frowning now as she gripped her kunai tightly. Kai nodded and pointed out toward the hospital.

"They're doing double-duty. The enemy somehow attacked the hospital after one of those bolts hit it." He explained before folding his arms over his chest. Haruhi averted his eyes toward the hospital as Koyuki groaned a little before nodding.

"Isn't it a little weird that the lightening keeps hitting important buildings?" He asked, confused, looking up at his parents. Koyuki and Kai shared curious expressions before looking back at their son.

"The gods aren't on our side this time." Koyuki said at last in a bitter tone and Kai looked at her.

"I don't think the gods have any control over what's happening- Look out!" He barked and grabbed Koyuki's shoulder and the back of Haruhi's shirt, reeling away in time for a kunai with a paper bomb attached to hit the ground. It exploded and knocked the family skidding back into another building, causing it to shudder at the impact. Haruhi coughed, waving dust out of his face and scrambling to his feet as he looked up in time for Koyuki to throw herself to her feet, using a shrieking fireball jutsu. Kai managed to stand up, holding his torso and grimacing. Haruhi looked at him in concern.

"What's wrong, dad?"

"I think I broke a couple ribs. Grab your mother, we're going to head to the hospital. It's probably the best place we can be right now. Medications, medical ninjas, etc. It may be under attack, but they won't be expecting us three to attack at once. I'll use a genjutsu to distract while your mother and you use the biggest fire jutsu you can muster."

"All right. First we have to get there." Haruhi muttered, looking up in time to see his mother step back as several enemies converged on them. Kai narrowed his dark eyes, clenching a fist before he made rapid hand signs, thrusting his hands out and twisting so a huge wall of air gathered up.

"Koyuki, duck! Haruhi, cover your ears!" Kai shouted and his family obeyed hurriedly as a high-pitched whistle cut through the air and wind rushed forward, sweeping the wailing enemy ninja away in a spray of blood. Koyuki shot to her feet and nodded to Kai and Haruhi, all three shooting off. Their feet smacked onto caving roofs and Koyuki even took the time to smash her foot down on an enemy's head before she did a flip and used a fire ball jutsu on another. As soon as they landed on the hospital roof, they were under attack as enemy shinobi crawled to the roof.

"Haruhi, now!" Kai commanded and Haruhi nodded, telling his mother the plan and earning a nod as Kai turned to face the enemies, making rapid hand signs. The opponents stopped in their tracks, stunned into silence before they're expressions became dazed. Haruhi and Koyuki wove hand signs rapidly before bringing their hands up to their mouths, creating a huge tornado of raging hot flames that began to spin faster and faster, sucking up a good chunk of the army before it whipped of into several clouds of smoke, vanishing.

The trio ran to the door, hurrying down the stairs and kicking down any enemies that came racing up the stairs to stop them. Haruhi threw open the door once he reached the bottom, wincing as he leapt over a couple bodies. Koyuki and Kai did the same, their eyes flashing up and down the hallways, almost missing the trio of enemies that were charging at them if Haruhi hadn't of activated his Sharingan while using a phoenix flower jutsu to crush all three.

Haruhi winced at the heat and raw flesh of his hand and pain behind his eyes when he heard his mother yell his name and he whipped around in time for the ceiling above them to crumble downwards. Haruhi gasped and stumbled back, almost falling over if someone hadn't of caught him under the arms. He blinked and looked up to see a pair of pale yellow eyes staring down at him, deep violet hair hanging over his left eye.

"Ketsuraku!" He exclaimed in surprise and the Tsukuyomi child heaved him to his feet, smirking. Ketsuraku wore an official Jounin uniform, his headband worn as a bandana over his head. The smile on his face was wiped off as his senses pricked. He whirled around as an enemy lunged at him from behind, but he smacked his hand into the enemy's face and swung around, slamming his fist into the man's back, ripping through his flesh and easily took up a chunk of it with his fist, licking his hand. Haruhi twitched in disgust.

"Where's Setsuna?" He asked, but as soon as he said her name, said navy-haired girl appeared beside her brother in a black shinsengumi, her katana withdrawn and ready for battle as blood dripped off the tip.

"Where're Koyuki and Kai?" She asked with a frown, glancing around. Haruhi winced and pointed to the rubble.

"On the other side. It collapsed and we were separated. What about Kasumi and Akira?" He asked, cocking his head. Ketsuraku sighed.

"Healing right now. Dad got a pretty bad hit to the stomach… And, I dunno… Mom says he'll be okay, but I can tell she's trying not to cry." He mumbled, shifting uncomfortably and making Haruhi grimace in apology. Setsuna frowned, lowering her katana.

"He'll make it, Ketsuraku. Have hope. Come on, we can't let our guards down now. There's still more fighting to do. This war isn't even half over."

"She's right," Haruhi declared after a moment of silence, making Ketsuraku look at him in surprise, "We don't have time to waste. We have work to do, let's go!"

"Right!" Ketsuraku agreed brightly with a determined grin as he clenched a fist. The three shinobi nodded and whipped around, racing down a hallway and past the lobby where enemy shinobi threatened to bust the whole front of the hospital down.

"Daisuke, watch your back!" Sora called as she ducked an attack aimed at her head before she popped back up, scarlet eyes flashing as she spun around, kicking her heel hard into the face of an approaching female enemy. A few feet away, Daisuke hit the floor on his back before rolling out of the way to avoid a smash with a battle axe before he swung himself back to his feet. He brought his foot around and kicked the man harshly in the side, sending him flying into a wall. He lowered his foot and his eyes caught an attack out the corner of his eye, but a flash of raging hot flames made him yelp and leapt out of the way.

He turned and smirked to see Yuko get to her feet, her black hair falling out of its braid and her red eyes flashing as she ducked an attack, doing a flip and using her chakra to touch her feet to the ceiling. She called out a warning before throwing a paper bomb, creating a dent in the lobby as it knocked back several enemies. She landed back on the ground in a crouch and a shadow fell over her. Her eyes widened, but her brother came bolting out of the floor above, crashing down onto the man behind her.

Yuko swung around as Toshiyuki rose to his feet, brushing the dust off his black jumpsuit with the red stripes down the side. Some dust was still floating around off his red hair, but he hardly had time to care as he smirked at Yuko before slamming his fist into a nearby attacker's face.

"Nice dent ya made in here. You almost knocked out part of the second floor." He pointed out with a wink, making Yuko scowl a little before she and Toshiyuki ducked together to avoid a swing by a giant sword. The siblings immediately split off in separate directions, Yuko making fire style hand signs while Toshiyuki wove a pretty good amount of wind style, both releasing the dragon formed jutsus at once so they crashed together around the enemy, who squealed like a pig on a barbeque.

"Nice combo!" Daisuke whistled as he slammed two enemy's heads together, dropping them to the ground limply like dirty laundry. Sora smiled lightly, but it faded as she winced.

"Kids, heads up!" She shouted, pointing and Toshiyuki and Yuko spun around in time for another flow of enemies to come purging through the doors like a flood of raging hot monsters. More blood flew and kunai clanged together violently, weapons skidding across the floor. Good thing for a certain Chuunin-vest wearing shinobi with a senbon poking past his lips.

Kin rolled across the tiled floor, avoiding little flames popping up here and there due to the lobby battle. He snatched up a stray kunai and rolled onto his back, thrusting the kunai up as an enemy attempted to belly flop on him, ultimately failing. Kin threw the man off and got to his feet, wincing as he touched the back of his head, pulling his hand away to see blood on his fingers. He sighed, shaking his head and wiping his hand on his gray shirt. He looked up as another enemy came charging at him, making him weave a stream of hand signs, reeling a hand back as black mist began to swirl and form into his palm, exploding before he threw it forward.

The black orb slammed into the enemy, causing them to blast through several walls and skid across the floor limply. Kin bit down on the end of his senbon as he felt someone coming up behind him. He whirled to slam his fist into whoever it was, but stopped an inch away with a twitch.

"Kirei! I almost knocked your head off!" He snapped at the icy-eyed kunoichi, who blinked, holding up a kunai before lowering it. She stood up straight, her silver dyed hair with an electric blue fringe tied back as blood was streaked across her albino skin. Her black tank top with mesh underneath was torn near the torso, the golden dragon around her waist stained with blood. Her knee length black shorts and ninja shoes seemed to be the only things not ruined.

In seconds, Ecchio came running up beside her, the silver bells in his snow white hair jingling. His short black vest, over the silver top, was barely hanging onto him, his pants torn more than they were before as he sported his navy blue Chuunin vest.

"Sorry," Kirei replied weakly, smiling as she lowered her kunai, "I couldn't keep my head straight. I just barely got out of a corner a while ago, adrenaline still pumping."

"So why isn't it pumping anything to your brain?" Kin asked dryly before Ecchio waved a hand for him to cool down.

"Come on, let's not waste time with this," Ecchio told them, "This hospital is still under attack and I'm already running low on chakra. I managed to wiped out a full section of an infiltration team. What about you?" Kin frowned as he reached up to adjust the senbon in his mouth.

"Holding down the front lobby with the Yagani family, they keep getting pinned down by fresh troops. I heard they were- Heads up!" He shouted, popping his senbon back into his mouth as he made hand signs. Kirei and Ecchio leapt to the sides as Kin thrust his hands forward, black funnels of mist shooting forward and knocking back a trio of enemies that had come racing down the hall with weapons drawn. They flew back, blasting through a wall before another group came around the corner. Kirei turned this time, making a hand sign before she seemed to transform, her body turning blue and liquid. She seemed to shrink for a moment until she was on all fours, her watery body rippling as she growled and lunged forward, knocking enemies back. Ecchio grimaced and looked around in time to see a couple come around another corner. Kin whipped around, glaring as one held up a jagged sword.

"I got this one," Ecchio told him and his hands moved in an unfamiliar hand sign that consisted of his hands touching together from fingertips to heels before he pointed them outwards, his gold eyes glinting and making the enemies stop, "Saimin o kakeru! I am your master and as so I command that you kill the invading enemy before taking your own lives!" The enemies twitched before bowing at the waist and taking off, attacking their own kind before their blades plunged into their own guts. Kin twitched, glancing at Ecchio, who grimaced and rubbed his temples gently.

"That was gruesome."

"Indeed, I rather of had them do something else," Ecchio mused, making Kin scowl and roll his eyes, "But there's no time for amusement or pleasure, sadly. Come on, we're still not done here. They're going to need more back up in this lobby."

"Right," Kin agreed with a nod and turned to a nearby Genin, who had thrust her foot into an enemy's face, "You! Azusa! Report to the front lines and back with a report!" The kunoichi whipped around, her teal eyes blinking widely before she nodded and whipped around, taking off down the hallway. Her black ninja shoes slapped the tiles as she leapt over bodies and ducked oncoming attacks that were detoured by other shinobi interfering to protect her. She nodded her thanks quickly with a flashed smile before she raced up the stairs out onto the rooftop, taking off in time to avoid a paper bomb attack.

She shot through the air, avoiding large fires that screamed toward the dark, rumbling sky, dodging attacks and bombs as she made her way toward the north gates that were being held wide open by some invisible force. Azusa landed in a crouch, just barely avoiding a slash to her head, her eyes flashing as she whipped around, her foot connecting with an enemy's jaw. She leapt to her feet as a group came rushing toward her. She quickly made hand signs and thrust her hand up. The ground rumbled before a fissure parted in the dirt and hot water shot from the ground, knocking the enemies high into the air.

She turned in time to see a familiar swirl of blood that whipped through the air and back, seeing Hitsuki Kiku standing up straight with her sisters, Emiko and Hikari. Nearby, Mayu had just dodged an attack, whirling around with blinding speed as she thrust her hand into an enemy's chest, knocking him clear off his feet and slamming into the side of the great wall.

More enemies converged, lunging forward like a massive tsunami wave that flooded the village in violence. Kiku ducked and dodged, whipping around to hit her foot into an enemy's face. Her hands formed hand signs rapidly as an enemy started to lunge at her, but he gasped and choked, blood dribbling from his nose and mouth and ears. He fell to his knees, tripping up another charging enemy that slammed head into the ground where Hikari stomped on it, burying his face in the dirt. Hikari smirked before whirling around as blood splattered on her deep, plum-colored shirt, her glowing hand thrusting into an enemy's chest, causing them to gasp and topple over.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she sensed someone nearing her from behind, so she spun around, stepping wrong and almost stumbling, almost getting attacked herself, if a flash of crimson kimono hadn't of flashed by and the enemy seemed to explode after the blood rose to his face, his eyes rolling back in his head.

"Kesshou!" Hikari exclaimed as Kesshou skidded across the dirt before popping back up to her feet, smirking.

"Sorry, I'm late! There was an attack on the way out of the academy after I got the students to safety, but I'm here. Hikari, watch your back!" She added, her eyes widening and Hikari whirled around, slamming her hand into the oncoming enemy's gut, her other hand grabbing his face in her palm. The enemy flew backwards and hit a building, causing it to groan under impact. Another enemy lunged at her from the right, but Emiko bolted over and elbowed him hard in the gut, causing him to roll through the dirt and land at Mayu's feet, where he was stomped into the dirt.

"Keep moving, don't stop," Mayu yelled over the roaring of the army and bloodshed, "Your guard must be up at all times! There are definitely more than I calculated in the beginning!" The girls nodded in agreement, whipping around to face a charging army. Blood flew up into the air before splattering to the ground, staining it red.

"Kiku, heads up!" Kesshou ordered and bit into her thumb, thrusting her hand out so the blood hit the ground at the enemy's feet, a hand sign made with her opposite hand. The blood exploded and the enemy went flying back into a group of others, knocking them to the ground so Emiko and Kiku could rush forward, throwing paper bomb kunai around the fallen ground. They leapt away and Hikari made a hand signs, smirking as the paper bombs exploded, creating a crater in the earth where the fallen enemy had once been, also knocking back another section.

The explosion sent a crack sailing through the earth and up a building where Mitsuru had just shot off of. He back flipped and landed on another roof nearby, breathing hard as he wiped blood from his face. He heard another screeching chidori pierce his ears, making him cringe in pain before looking over to see Shisui panting for air beside him.

"Shisui, stop using that! You're gonna wipe yourself out!" He managed shakily and Shisui merely shook his head, his loose hair flipping before he cracked his knuckles, though wincing as his finger slipped over a cut in them.

"I'm fine! I get my chakra control from my mom!" He called back, then reeled his fist back as a group of invaders scrambled onto the rooftop, weapons at the ready and pointed straight toward them. Shisui slammed his fist into the roof and it immediately cracked apart. Shisui and Mitsuru flipped back onto the ground as the building collapsed, taking the invaders with it under its heavy rubble. Shisui skidded across the dirt to avoid another attack from a nearing enemy before he flung his foot out, catching the man right in the chest and he went flying, flying, he probably shot all the way across the village by now.

Mitsuru ducked an attack, moved to the side sharply and caught the man's arm and twisted it behind his back before he lunged forward, biting down hard on the enemy's throat, ripping it out so blood gushed everywhere. Mitsuru hurriedly chewed up the meat, eating as he kicked another screaming enemy in the gut. He ended up with his back to Shisui, who was panting as he held onto a pair of double-edged kunai.

"Mitsuru, I haven't worked this hard since that time we got locked in my basement." He laughed weakly and Mitsuru laughed in return as a group of enemies surrounded them, several with heavy thick battle axes and others with poisoned katanas, all their eyes narrowed sharply.

"You're so lazy," Mitsuru managed with a wicked smirk as he withdrew a kunai, "Let's make a bet, huh?"

"I love betting."

"I know. I bet that I can take all these losers down, eat them all, before you can."

"What do I get if you lose?"

"… I'll let you tackle me anyway you want," Mitsuru retorted, rolling his Sharingan eyes before locking them on an enemy, "But if I win, you have to cut your hair."

"What? That is sooo unfair, little Mitsuru! If this is a fight for my hair and for a kiss, then I'm not wasting any time!" Shisui cried and made a quick stream of hand signs, making Mitsuru wince and flail a bit comically, but he didn't stop Shisui as he slammed his fists into the ground. Fissures tore through the ground at lightening speed, glowing brightly as they shot forward, then spun in a circle, taking out all the enemies, one by one and causing them to either go flying or be sucked into the trench, that swallowed in on itself. Mitsuru sweat dropped, reeling away in shock.

"B-But I never said get ready, set, go! You cheated!" He accused as Shisui turned to him with a devious grin on his face.

"Ah, ah, ah, little Mitsuru! You can't get away from me this time, you swore!"

"Ah, damn it!" Mitsuru shouted and yelped as Shisui tackled him to the ground, hugging him tightly and kissing on his cheek. Mitsuru groaned and squirmed in Shisui's grip, feeling his face grow red hot as Shisui held onto him, his strawberry lip-gloss tainted lips pressing on his cheeks, his nose, his eyes, even his lips at once point!

"Gross, Shisui!"

"Squeeeee! You're so freaking adorable!" Shisui sang happily as he dragged Mitsuru up to his feet in his arms. Mitsuru choked and gagged for air as Shisui hooked an arm around his neck, holding him tight.

"Air! Air, Shisui! AIR!"

"You want me to do mouth to mouth? Okay!"

"NO!"

"Quit fooling around," A voice barked, making them both jump and whirl to see Ruriko hop off the edge of a building, landing in a crouch, "Shisui, I love that you and Mitsuru are so close, but now isn't the time to be fantasizing!"

"Sorry, auntie." Shisui pouted and let go of Mitsuru, who flailed dramatically and panted for air. Ruriko sighed, shaking her head before her lavender eyes flashed and she whirled around, slamming her fist into a creeping enemy's face. She looked at Mitsuru seriously, her fists clenched.

"Mitsuru, you know why this is happening, right?" She demanded. Mitsuru grimaced, rubbing his neck before looking at his mother, frowning.

"It's Haruke, isn't it? He's using a jutsu to make all this happen." He muttered. Ruriko nodded grimly as Shisui cringed, clenching his fists tightly.

"Yes. Lord Hokage summoned your father and I. I think he's already there, I can only hope. You be careful, Mitsuru. Be very careful and find Manabu and Miwa. You three, and Shisui and Nakusu, take up position at the Hokage's residence. It's safest to be near Naruto." She explained.

"Why is that?" Shisui and Mitsuru asked quizzically, but Ruriko merely shook her head and walked over, kissing Shisui on the forehead and giving him a quick hug. She turned to Mitsuru and ruffled his hair before hugging him tightly, her lips touching against his cheek. She pulled away with a cocked brow.

"Keep that lip-gloss on your face too, maybe you can kill your enemies by making them laugh to death."

"MOOOOM!" Mitsuru wailed on embarrassment, his face burning up. Shisui giggled sheepishly as Mitsuru flashed him a glare. Ruriko nodded before shooting off in the direction of the Hokage's residence. Her long black hair whipped around behind her, her jacket flapping in the smoky wind as she flipped over rubble and went around hot flames that seemed to dot the village in a fiery hellish array.

She landed on the steps of the residence, ready to go in when a kunai shot into the wall near her head. She gasped and leapt away as she saw a paper bomb flutter from it. She grabbed it quickly and whirled, throwing it as far as she could, glaring as she faced a group of little terrorists glaring up at her and smirking wickedly.

"Little brats," Ruriko sneered bitterly, clenching her fists, "You come here acting so high and mighty, when you're nothing but spoiled little rats! If it's a war you want, it's a war you're gonna get!" Her fishnet gloved hands spun several hand signs before her hands thrust out as the enemies rushed forward uncaringly. Electricity shrieked through the air and began to shoot through the air toward them in an array of spider web designs, exploding on anything it touched.

Ruriko reeled her hands back and whirled around to disappear into the residence, but a powerful grip caught her hair, making her gasp around in pain as she lost her footing, stumbling back and hitting the ground. Colorful dots danced across her vision before it focused on an older looking shinobi, an enemy for sure dressed in a Kirigakure Jounin outfit. She started to jerk forward, then yelped in pain when she realized the bastard had used her hair to tie her back against one of the railings.

"Nice hair, woman! It comes in handy!" He roared with laughter. Ruriko gritted her teeth, feeling tears prick her eyes. _Goddamn it, thirty-two years… It's taken me thirty-two years to get my hair as long as my mom's was… I can't cut it…_ She thought miserably as she glared at the man.

"You think you can get away from me? You're a fucking coward!" She barked. The man snarled viciously at her and picked up a kunai from his weapons pouch, tying a paper bomb to it as a dirty grin spread across his face. He slammed the kunai into the ground between Ruriko's ankles before he lunged inside the building.

"Enjoy the underworld, woman!" He yelled over his shoulder and the paper bomb caught fire in that instant, flicking about. Ruriko's eyes widened and she hurriedly fumbled into her weapon's pouch. She tore out a kunai, then stopped to stare at her reflection. She gritted her teeth.

"I'm sorry." She seethed, then shut her eyes tightly and reached behind her, dragging the blade of her kunai through her hair. She lunged forward, freeing herself. She snatched up the kunai and flung it through the air into another building, turning to stare at the pile of inky black hair that lay in a mass of knots on the stair's steel railing. She looked down at her kunai, her hand reaching behind her to grab what was left of her hair. It was now cut in a choppy, sloppy fashion at her shoulders with much longer strands flailing about. She whirled around, throwing the kunai down before rushing into the residence.

She hurried up the stairs, throwing doors closed behind her every step of the way, throwing wire traps in every direction she could before she reached the Hokage's main door, where a group of Anbu were waiting in stiff positions, their masks staring at her. She gritted her teeth and they stepped aside, letting Ruriko lunge in to find Naruto punching out the glass pane in his window while Itachi watched with a frown from near the door. They both turned to see her, eyes going wide.

"Ruriko." Itachi stated and she knew he was questioning what hell she'd gone through to arrive, but she shook her head.

"It was just hair." She managed, although, her heart was still aching for 'just her hair'. Naruto grimaced and slammed his hands down on his desk.

"We know for sure this is all Haruke's doing. I sent Mitasu and Roku after a spy for Haruke in the village. They're tracing him as we speak. I want you two to grab a couple of headsets and get out there as fast as you can and stop whatever's going on… This is probably the worst attack on the village since Kotaro's. You need to hurry." He commanded. Ruriko blinked as Naruto tore some headsets out of his desk, walking forward and handing it to them. They nodded as Naruto turned toward the window, stepping onto the sill.

"I'm going to protect my village," Naruto stated, a gust of smoky hot air billowing in and causing his cloak to ruffle, his gold hair blowing, "You two do the same."

"Yes, Lord Hokage." Ruriko and Itachi murmured in unison before turning and heading out the door.

**In the Dark**

Haruke laughed and threw another rock down at the village, watching as the voodoo dolls seemed to take on a life of their own. They're small figures ran about the village, even the sounds of the screams and destruction rising up. It was like watching television, only much, much more real.

"Such cocky shinobi," Haruke mocked as he brought his fist down on top of a building, crushing it to the ground, watching as a couple of dolls were swallowed underneath, "You thought you could handle anything, hm? Well, watch me now because even your pathetic Hokage can't rescue you!" He watched as the voodoo doll of Naruto lunged out of the Hokage's residence. Haruke grinned and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small firecracker and dropping it right on the residence, causing it to explode in sharp crackles as pieces flew everywhere. Haruke happily ignored a piece that struck him under the eye, leaving a small red cut. He stepped away and laughed to himself again.

"You're all hopeless! Running around and trying to defend from an enemy you can't even see! If you think those troops are bad, you're sadly mistaken!" He shouted down at it, knowing that the village would only hear it as vicious thunder. He smirked to himself and folded his arms over his chest before someone ran into the room, Naoki who was caked with blood, gasping for air.

"Haruke-sama, the Chuunin and Jounin after the spy are here and they're breaking past the guards that we set up! That Jounin, Roku, he's insane! He's eating-"

"What?" Haruke demanded in annoyance, glaring at him out the corner of his eye. Naoki gulped, twiddling his fingers.

"R-Roku, sir! He's _eating_ the guards out there and it's like he's getting stronger and stronger! He's also got a headset and-and…! Your parents are coming here! Right now!" He cried and flinched as a deathly glint shown in Haruke's narrowed dark blue eyes. Haruke turned to him and Naoki took a nervous step back.

"Well, then… What the FUCK are you doing here, you idiot? Get out of here and go out there, kill them! Where the hell are Hageshii and Zakuro? Set them at the front and kill those fools!"

"Everyone?"

"Ev-… No, just Roku and the Chuunin." Haruke managed, stiffening. Naoki blinked and looked at him, confused.

"And your parents?" He asked. Haruke glared at him.

"Do what I said and get out of here, kill only Roku and the Chuunin!"

"Y-Yes, Haruke-sama." Naoki managed and bolted from the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Haruke turned back to the model, his eyes slightly wide in annoyance, confusion, and surprise.

_They're coming back…? I told them to leave… Isn't the jutsu working anymore? Goddamn it… Why won't they stay away?_ He thought, clenching his fists as he stood over the model, watching the chaos take place in a hellish invasion. Haruke stared, his eyes moving around as he watched families become nothing, but crushed fabric under ruined buildings. Shinobi fall to their knees in attempts to protect civilians that were still out in the open or caught under the rubble. He even caught sight of Mitsuru and Shisui moving toward the Hokage residence where he saw a familiar pair of dolls, racing away in the other direction. Haruke's eyes widened.

"They really are coming…" He murmured as he watched his parents run toward the nearest exit, his eyes flicked over as he watched the voodoo dolls of Miwa and Manabu defend their newly built home, now being crushed for the second time by enemy attack, his eyes watching one of his own troops lunge with a fatal attack at Manabu. Haruke's eyes flashed and he glared, reaching out and grabbing the attacking doll, that seemed to scream in his tight grip. He threw the doll against the wall, watching it slid down and go limp. The dolls of Miwa and Manabu seemed to share looks before they were being attacked again. Haruke frowned, clenching his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

_Damn it. Even after this, Manabu… And Miwa. Mitsuru. Shisui, Nakusu. Koyuki, Kai, and Haruhi… My parents. They're still doing this even after everything I said to Manabu and I know Manabu told them…_ He thought as he watched the bloodshed and slaughter continue. Another surge of anger rushed through him as he watched another group of attacking shinobi charge for the twins again.

"Goddamn it, didn't you learn your lessons?" He snapped angrily and reached out, slamming his fist down on the ground so they were smashed into the ground. Haruke frowned again before his expression seemed to soften, slowly, but surely.

_I'm an idiot. A really big idiot… All those years of planning, I was confident that I'd be able to destroy every single shinobi in Konohagakure, then move on to all the hidden villages, crushing every shinobi that ever existed, but what am I thinking? I'd be wiping out more than half the population on this planet… And killing my parents is already going to be hard enough… No, it would be hard… If I wanted to do it. Jeez, I'm being such a coward…_ He realized as he stared at the mass hysteria occurring in front of him, his eyelids glowing a bit lazy in sudden fatigue. He sighed.

"I can't do it." He said at last, then blinked in surprise at himself. His left eye was growing a bit blurry and he wondered for a moment if he was going blind, at a time like this, but he reached up and touched his eye, pulling his hand away to see a crystal tear run down his finger. He stared.

_Everyone says crying hurts… I'm glad I can't feel it… Feel. That's right. All this time, they kept pushing me away, keeping me locked up, not because they hated me, were ashamed of me… They were scared. They didn't want me to get hurt… They didn't want to lose me, but now that they have, they're not going to give up until I'm back, locked up… But I hated that! I hated it! It wasn't protecting me, locking me up in that stupid house! Making me go to the doctor's every time to make sure I didn't have some stupid fever that I couldn't even tell I had! When I heard Mitsuru was getting into the Ninja Academy, I got excited… I didn't show it, I just told him fine whatever because I thought I was going to be the next one to be in the academy. I'd easily catch up to him and become a shinobi, just like my parents, my uncles, my aunts, my cousins, all the friends I thought I'd have some day, but it never happened… When I was properly diagnosed by that old lady Tsunade, they told me no. They said I could never become a ninja, they weren't going to let me be like them just because I couldn't feel if I was getting hurt, how dangerous it was… They treated me like the plague, not like I had a handicap!_

Haruke ignored the tears and sighed, closing his eyes.

_But that's exactly what I'm doing… I'm treating shinobi like the plague. After they told me I couldn't be one of them, I hated them. I always insulted Mitsuru, telling him he was worthless for becoming a shinobi. When he passed the Genin exams, he was happy and he came running home to tell our parents, everyone. I was the only one that told him he was going to be nothing, but a cold-hearted murderer… I told Manabu and Miwa the same thing when they entered the academy and I had to sit at home. Whenever a ninja came by to talk to our parents, I would slam the door shut in their face. If I found a headband, I'd burn it. If I found a kunai, I'd dull the blade until it broke. Wherever the symbol 'shinobi' was, I ruined it because I hated them. By pushing them away, I was lowering myself, deeper and deeper until I reached a dark pit in the ground, so I was looking up at that one thing… That one symbol…_

_Shinobi._

"I can't do it." Haruke murmured at last and let go of the rock he had picked up in his fist, letting it hit the ground. He reached out, closing the east gates. He closed the west and the south gates. He grabbed handfuls of enemy dolls, gritting his teeth as he threw them out before he reached for the north gate when it happened, the sound of a door creaking, only a few footsteps and…

He froze, his eyes wide as blood seemed to shoot out of nowhere, spraying out in a fan and drenching the model of the village. For a moment, he thought he had hit his hand on something when he was pulled back a bit, his legs shaking. He looked down to see a black, fingerless gloved hand with a fishnet palm, thrust right through the space beneath his chest and just above his gut. The fist unclenched for a moment and he tried to suck in a breath, but nothing happened. He sucked again, his lungs quivering and tightening, scrunching in an attempt to gain air. Haruke looked up, his body jerking as the hand ripped out. He struggled to stay standing, but his legs gave out and he fell to his knees.

Behind him, Hageshii stood in all his glory, his bloodied arm held up as blood stained his attire. He wore a cruel expression of dominance and murder as he lowered his arm, watching as Haruke fell onto his side in front of the north gates of the model.

"I told you," Hageshii sighed before smirking as he looked down at Haruke's unblinking, wide dark blue eyes, the color slowly fading from them, "I'm not a lapdog and I don't sit by and let little brats like you tell me what to do, underestimate my skills like that… You're a stupid, worthless little brat. You _might_ have gained some respect from me had you killed your stupid parents in the first place… You're a pretty sad display now, lying there in your own blood… Oh, and would you look at that? Your village also seemed to be caked in your blood, such a nice sight. Well, if you'll excuse me, I should tell your little minions that you've been killed." Hageshii turned on his heel, laughing out loud as he walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Haruke managed to suck in a shuddering breath, his arm outstretched toward the north gate, his fingers twitching. His lungs tensed, tightened. Blood dribbled past his lips, sputtering to the ground as Haruke's fingers inched forward, blood smearing across the ground of the model. He caught the edges of the gates, closing them slowly before he choked, blood gurgling from the gaping, shredded hole at the center of his torso.

Haruke gasped wetly as blood bubbled up in his throat and he choked again, letting the glob burst out and spray on the now closed north gates. That breath was his last as the light faded from Haruke's eyes and his fingers stopped twitching, screwing up a symbol for the jutsu on the ground. His body went still in death, his blank eyes staring straight ahead at the gates.

"My, my, my," A voice murmured sadly, a pair of footsteps scuffing across the ground from Haruke's bedroom, "I really do hate seeing such a young Uchiha perish… He's about the third or fourth of his kind…" A swirled orange and black mask seemed to glow in the dim light of the room, his Akatsuki cloak dragging with him. Beside him, Kaoru appeared, the hood of his Akatsuki cloak pulled up so only his lazy, lilac eyes were visible as they stared at the corpse of his cousin before he muttered bitterly,

"Looks like Uchiha Haruke was defeated."

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**A/N: Not much to say about this chapter, just thanks so much for reading, hope the characters are okay, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	38. Chapter 38

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Eight: **Ruriko's On Callback! Reborn Fascination!**

In Konohagakure, Ruriko and Itachi rushed ahead, bolting for the east gates when they skidded to a stop to see them closed shut. Konohagakure shinobi looked at each other and murmured their confusion and suspicions. Ruriko jerked her head up, her eyes widening.

"What the…? Why are they closed?" She asked, then looked at Itachi, who studied the gates with a frown of both worry and uneasiness.

"They just closed… Haruke must have closed them."

"Haruke…?" Ruriko couldn't finish her sentence as something warm and wet landed on her nose, making her blink in surprise. Itachi blinked and turned to look at her. Ruriko reached up and touched her fingers to her nose, pulling her hand away to stare. Her face drained of color.

"Ruriko-" Itachi stopped as something red hit his cheek and he reached up to wipe it away, but more began to fall. All the shinobi stopped their bickering and whispering to look up at the gray sky as the black clouds seemed to fade in color… The only color was red, falling as rain to the village below.

"I-Itachi…" Ruriko stuttered, her hand shaking. Itachi looked down at her, his onyx eyes almost glowing.

"Ruriko, don't… I don't know what it is, but don't make assumptions."

"B-But what else could it be? Itachi, if Haruke's…!"

"He's not," Itachi stated firmly, although, he could practically hear his heart pounding in his ears as he spoke, "He's fine… He's okay. Come on, we still need to catch up to Roku and Mitasu."

"Right." Ruriko said at last, clenching her fist. They nodded together and shot out of the village, running up the side of the wall and bolting out. Even so, the red rain continued to fall, giving the air a heavy, rotten metallic smell.

**In the dark…**

"I'm sure Itachi and Ruriko will be distraught," Uchiha Madara mused as he walked over, crouching low and curling his arms under Haruke's body, lifting him up off the ground and standing up, "He was so young… You knew him more than I did, Kaoru. How do you feel about his death?" Madara's Sharingan eye shifted to look at his son, who looked up at his father with slightly narrowed eyes of annoyance.

"He hated me."

"Is that so? So, would you like to dispose of him?" Madara asked, turning to face Kaoru, who stared at him in disbelief.

"What?" He demanded. Madara smirked as he put a hand over Haruke's still opened eyes, slowly closing them as he held the corpse out to his son.

"Get rid of him. Bury him, burn him, mutilate his body… Whatever you'd like."

"And I thought you really felt bad about him dying." Kaoru muttered, watching as a sharp devilish glint went through Madara's visible red eye. He could just see the wicked grin on his father's face behind that round mask. Madara didn't respond, however, and continued to hold out Haruke's body until Kaoru took it in his arms. It was light, the thought sending a shiver up Kaoru's spine. Madara turned to the model of Konohagakure.

"Now go. I want time to… Study this interesting display…" He said calmly. Kaoru glared, but said nothing as he turned and headed into the room, walking out of Haruke's room and into the hallway, where guards were already giving up on the fight against the shinobi attacking outside. He turned and shot down a hallway, taking the escape route out the back, coming up near a river. He headed toward the bridge until he felt someone falling him and he stopped.

He frowned and let a dark purple mark creep off his ankle, sliding out and slithering across the ground at lightening speed, the tip of it slicing through a beetle that was scuttling across the grass. The mark flicked the beetle off into the water and lifted up like a snake, its sharp tip glinting.

"I know you're there, so show yourself." Kaoru commanded without turning around. There was a rustle in the trees nearby and the mark shot in that direction on its own, making Kaoru wince and turn to watch the mark shoot into the trees. The mark shot back with a strange reeling sound, like wire running through a crank, before lying across the grass in a defeated manner. Kaoru narrowed his eyes and watched as a familiar shinobi jumped from a tree branch, his hands in the pockets of his black zip-up jacket; loose gray shorts, black ninjas shoes, and a mask covering the lower half of his face and square black sunglasses finishing off his attire.

"Who are you?" Kaoru demanded. The boy seemed to frown behind his mask before he reaching up and pulled it down.

"My name is Aburame Zakuro… I worked for Haruke."

"Well, _worked_ is right. He's dead." Kaoru replied, holding the corpse in his arms up a little and making Zakuro visibly flinch. Kaoru raised an eyebrow in amusement and curiosity.

"He didn't deserve to die." Zakuro answered coldly. Kaoru blinked, then frowned.

"I think trying to destroy his own village with a voodoo jutsu is pretty bad, so he's made his way easily onto the top ten baddies list." He retorted smartly. Zakuro scowled, clenching his fists in his pockets.

"You weren't watching. Haruke stopped when he found out that he was really loved."

"What are you talking about?"

"You should know, Uchiha. Haruke was diagnosed with CIPA, Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhydrous. Afterwards, everyone shut him out because they thought he'd get hurt. He always thought it was because people were scared of him, but in truth, they were scared of him getting hurt. He found that out."

"A bit too late."

"… You're from Akatsuki," Zakuro said quickly, making Kaoru roll his eyes, "That organization is known for practicing tons of forbidden jutsus. There has to be at least one that'll bring Haruke back." Kaoru stared at him, then glared.

"Are you insane? Why would I bring that snot nosed brat back? That's trifling with death and not something I'm about to do!"

"Says the one who can't die," Zakuro spat, making Kaoru stiffen, "Of course I know about those marks on your body, the ones that stop you from receiving any real damage because they rapidly sew up and replace pieces of you that went missing. You wouldn't know anything about death! Haruke's just a kid, he was only fourteen!" Kaoru tensed, his grip on the carcass in his arms growing tight.

"It's not going to work. He's been dead for at least half an hour and by the time we reach the base and get everything ready, his body will go through _rigor mortis_."

"Kaoru, I'm not asking you," Zakuro said at last, "I'm ordering you. Haruke's your cousin, are you really as coldhearted as your father?" Kaoru's lilac eyes sharpened like daggers, his nails digging into Haruke's yukata. Zakuro didn't move, and his determined expression remained, even as the marks on Kaoru's creamy skin seemed to glow, slowly inching down to creep through the grass like sneaking cats.

"I'm not like him." Kaoru seethed at last.

"Then save Haruke."

"No."

"Then you are like your father. Madara's killed countless of innocent people, you know it's true, he even killed members of his own clan. If you don't save Haruke, you'll regret it."

"…"

"And the people who really do like you, won't when they find out that you're nothing, but a spawn of Satan." Zakuro spat bitterly. Kaoru fumed silently, the marks flicking and whipping around angrily in response, pleading to their host to rush forward and slaughter this intruder, but in the back of his mind, Kaoru knew…

Zakuro was right.

It's not like he really hated Haruke anyway. He was just annoyed that the brat was so cocky and tried to kill him, but if Zakuro was right, Haruke might be different if he had a second chance…

"All right," Kaoru muttered, making Zakuro glance up from the ground, "We'll try it, but we need to be fast about this and not waste anytime. When we get there, don't open your mouth for any reason… And I hope you know what you have to do to bring Haruke back to life." Zakuro tilted his head slightly and smiled, making Kaoru blink in surprise.

"Yea, I know… But Haruke has a reason to live, he has a shot at a second chance, he has a family that wants him back, safe and sound… I don't."

"I'm sure-"

"No," Zakuro shook his head, "My clan disowned me for being different. They didn't like that I was always teasing my teammates and falling behind in my studies or that I didn't even want to be a shinobi in the first place. My own mother said she hated me… But I didn't care because I had this feeling in my gut that it wasn't my time to die, my time to give up… Not yet, at least. I rather die helping someone than die killing myself." Kaoru stared at him before nodding. They turned and shot off.

**The dark**

Itachi and Ruriko shot through the trees, leaves flashing off branches and swirling to the forest floor. The faint sound of an ending battle could be heard up ahead as they approached the hideout by directions being given through their headsets. In moments, they were standing before a ruined hideout with some bodies littering the ground and Mitasu healing a wound on Roku's arm. At Roku's feet were a pair of tied up ninjas, a female and a male.

"What happened? Where's Haruke?" Ruriko demanded as she landed on the ground, making Mitasu jump and Roku jerk his head up. Roku grimaced and opened his mouth to speak, but the boy wailed.

"Argh! You stink! You all stink!" He complained while the girl groaned, tossing her head back in annoyance.

"Shut up, Naoki! They're not that tough, untie us and we'll show you!"

"Be quiet," Ruriko snarled, making the girl gulp and the boy whimper pitifully before she looked back at Roku angrily, "Where's Haruke? Is in there? Did you find him? Is he all right?"

"Ruriko," Itachi ordered, making her look at him worriedly, "Stop, calm down… You're not going to get answers that way… Roku, what happened?" Roku shifted uncomfortably as Mitasu let go of his arm, looking away awkwardly.

"Followed Haruke's smell," He said quietly, pointing to his nose before pointing toward the hideout, "Not there. A very bad smell, though, is in there… It hurts my nose just being out here. He can smell it too." He pointed to Naoki, who stiffened. Ruriko blinked and looked at the boy.

"You smell chakra too?" She asked, perplexed. Naoki blushed and squirmed in the wire tied around him before Ruriko looked at Roku.

"All right, well, take the kids back to the village-"

"No," Roku stated firmly, getting quizzical looks from everyone, "Don't go in. Bad smell… It is very strong, stronger than I've ever smelled. It's evil, Ruriko." Ruriko frowned.

"I know, Roku, but I have to get my son back."

"But, I do not smell his chakra…"

"But maybe whoever's in there knows where he is."

"Ruriko." Roku whined, but Ruriko just smiled and patted him on the head before heading for the entrance. Itachi caught her shoulder, frowning.

"Ruriko, you can't just walk in there… I may not be able to smell chakra like Roku, but I know when there's something evil nearby…"

"I'll be all right. Roku, you and Itachi start running past the hideout and see if you can pick up on anyone's chakra. Mitasu, take those kids with you back to Konohagakure. I'll catch up with everyone later."

"Ruriko-"

"Itachi, I'll be fine," Ruriko soothed, taking his hand, "I swear on my life, I'll be all right and catch up soon."

"… I'm trusting you." Itachi said at last with a frown. Ruriko smiled, a bit sadly, and nodded before turning and shooting off into the hideout past the rubble and fallen columns. She heard the others take off before she started walking down a dark hallway, her eyes wide as she recognized the place as one of Orochimaru's old hideouts once upon a time. She frowned at the memory of that disgusting man and shuddered before she turned a corner and saw a light shining under a door. She crept toward it and put her ear to it, averting her eyes and listening for any sounds inside, but heard nothing…

"Come in, Ruriko." All the blood drained from Ruriko's face and her heart began to pound frantically like a frightened mouse's as she recognized that horrendously handsome tone. She waited a moment before she tentatively opened the door and there he was.

Uchiha Madara was standing near a blood-drenched model of Konohagakure.

Ruriko's eyes widened as she rushed in, slamming the door shut behind her as she stared at the mess.

"Haruke! Where's my son?" She demanded, clenching her fists angrily as she glared at Madara, who shrugged lightly.

"I wouldn't know… Kaoru left with him earlier. I couldn't care less."

"You…! You better not have touched him with your dirty hands or I swear to the gods…!"

"Now, now. Let's not make anymore false promises, like you did to Sasuke a while back, right?" Madara smirked behind his mask, making Ruriko stiffen with anger as she narrowed her lavender eyes dangerously.

"Shut up. I just came here for my son. If he's not here, I'm going to leave."

"Oh? You don't want to hear what I have to say? How rude… I do believe I mentioned about making a callback."

"Screw your callback, I'm not your toy or anything. Itachi was already suspicious about the diary and what you wrote it in, you sick bastard. I won't do anything you want."

"Of course, that's what they all say… Well, in their heads. At least you have guts, or maybe you're just stupid… If I were you, I wouldn't get snippy with me." Madara replied calmly. Ruriko gritted her teeth, but said nothing as Madara turned to gesture to the bloodied display.

"This seems to be the only thing Haruke left behind before he left us… It was pretty interesting, using all this to attack the village, but in the end, he's about as weak as his parents…"

"Tch."

"Ruriko," Madara turned to her, making her glare, "Hm… Ya know, I thought something about you changed. You seem to have chosen a different hairstyle."

"It's not my fault."

"A price to pay in battle… Your diary says you grew it out in honor of your mother's memory. She as well had long, flowing hair, didn't she? A deep dark purple color, nice and smooth."

"Quit trying to make me mad," Ruriko snapped, "Just tell me what you want."

"I don't have to try and make you mad. You're naturally like that," Madara smirked as Ruriko scowled, "Don't worry, my next job for you isn't that hard… I'm even giving you a longer time limit this time, a year. You have one year… To bring Uzumaki Naruto to me." Ruriko's face paled as she leaned against the wall, glaring.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'll let Kaoru go with you back to Konohagakure too, just to make sure you get the job done. Tell everyone how sweet little Kaoru has changed his plans and ran away from his poor father to join Konohagakure as an Anbu. Then within the year, you can bring me Naruto, the Sixth Hokage, so I may… Talk to him a little."

"You're insane. I'm not going to kidnap the Sixth Hokage just so you can play cat and mouse." Ruriko growled low in her throat. Madara sighed and he was gone in a flash, making Ruriko blink and in that blink, he was right in front of her, his mask removed so his hot breath touched her face. Ruriko shrank back against the wall, glaring at him the best she could.

"I am. You are and I will. It's not a choice, Ruriko… It's an order and you'll accept it unless you want everyone else in your precious family to die, down to the very last child that is birthed." Madara murmured in her face. Ruriko cringed, clenching her fists against the wall and looking the other way. Madara smirked, reaching up and running a gloved hand through her choppy black hair before he pressed a hand to the wall beside her head.

"The Akatsuki will be waiting." He whispered and Ruriko squeezed her eyes shut, opening them a moment later to find herself alone in the empty room. She gasped a little and slid down the wall onto her bottom, her lavender eyes staring at the model across the room. She looked around worriedly.

_A year… I have a year to think of a way to get Madara off my back without his son knowing and watching the entire time… Oh, life just keeps getting better and better._ She thought miserably before she lunged to her feet and jerked her head up, clenching a fist tightly as rage boiled up inside her. She shot up, slamming her fist through the dirt, plowing through and appearing at the top. She shot off up ahead past the hideout, trying to catch up to Roku and Itachi.

_That's a problem for tomorrow. Today, I'm going to find my son. I'm not going to stop until Haruke's back at home._

**The Base**

Kaoru and Zakuro landed at the mouth of a jagged cavern that led straight through a cliff, where the warm ocean water splashed up its sides before falling back in defeat. Kaoru led the way in, his boots scuffing on pebbles. Zakuro frowned as he heard voices at the end of the tunnel in the main cavern.

"You're stupid as hell, Hidan! You wouldn't know true art if it bit you in the ass, hmm!"

"As if you're one to talk, Deidara, ya stupid little fucker!"

"Both of you shut up, you're giving me a headache." Kaoru and Zakuro stepped into the main cavern where the organization known as Akatsuki was waiting around in a circle, glancing over. The co-leader, Pein, looked over with a frown, the chakra receivers in his nose and ears and lower lip glinting in the small column of light that shown through the roof of the cave.

"You're back." He stated and the ocean-haired woman beside him seemed to tilt her head a bit curiously at the boy in Kaoru's arms and the one beside him. Kaoru frowned as he walked forward, ignoring the awkward silence that fell over the room.

"I'm back with an order from my father. This boy's name is Uchiha Haruke and we have orders to bring him back." He announced. Pein's eyes ringed eyes narrowed.

"Whaaat? Why should we do that, hm?" Deidara demanded in annoyance from his perch on a boulder, rolling his visible blue eye. Hidan snorted and barked some colorful curses of refusal.

"Enough," Pein commanded, glaring at them, "If it is his wish to bring him back, we will obey… However, you must have a life prepared to sacrifice for _that_ jutsu to work." Kaoru cocked his head to Zakuro.

"He's willing."

"Then let's begin. Places in a circle on the outer edges of the cavern, now." Pein ordered and everyone groaned, but moved into place obediently. Kaoru walked into the center of the cavern, his lilac eyes glowing as he placed Haruke's body on the ground. His body was slowly growing colder, his body seeming stiffer now as _rigor mortis_ prepared to settle in. Kaoru stepped away to the edge and looked at Zakuro, who walked toward Haruke's body.

"Lie down next to him and just wait, don't move a muscle or you'll mess up the process." Kaoru explained to him. Zakuro nodded and got on the ground beside Haruke's corpse, looking straight up at the ceiling. As the others prepared, he reached up and slowly removed his glasses, placing them beside his head, keeping his eyes closed. Kaoru looked at Pein, who frowned and nodded before looking forward. Pein stepped out and bit into his thumb, drawing a dribble of blood. He threw his hand out, splashing the bit of blood out around in a circle around Zakuro and Haruke before he stepped back and began to weave hand signs, the rest of Akatsuki copying each careful woven hand sign.

The bloody circle began to glow brightly, the light reaching to the ceiling and illuminating the room in a gentle reddish glow.

Zakuro opened his eyes, revealing warm, coffee grown irises and a thin film of tears in his eyes, his expression still rather stoic before he felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips.

_This is the right thing to do… Haruke has a whole life ahead of him. He has a family that loves him and wants him back home. I've lived out my purpose and now it's my time to leave…_

A powerful tugging sensation jerked at his chest and his heart began to pound wildly out of control, his body tensing strongly. The glow from the bloody circle began to pulsate as the hand signs grew faster, a humming filling the room. Zakuro forced himself not to gasp for air as he felt like someone had punched him harshly in the stomach before he felt it…

He was slipping away, but it didn't hurt anymore. Zakuro kept the faint smile on his lips, his vision growing dark around the edges. At the center was a bright light, warm and soft the sun on a perfect spring morning. A sigh escaped past Zakuro's lips and it was his last sigh as the lights began to pulse faster, like a heart monitor that beeped in the hospital before it grew bright for a long moment.

The glow slowly was sucked forward into a swirling orb above Haruke's body as Pein finished the last few hand signs, moving his hands forward.

"Sealing Jutsu! Soul Reincarnation!" The orb fell downwards and into Haruke's body and for a frightening moment, Kaoru could only guess that the reason it was a failure was due to the lateness of their arrival, but Haruke's body jerked and jolted, spasming. Kaoru moved forward right away when Pein ordered him to go. Haruke's eyes flew open and he sucked in a sharp breath.

He could feel his heart pounding, hitting his ribs and how strange it felt! It was like a drum against his ribs! The light from above hurt his eyes and he felt a dull throbbing in his head.

What was going on?

The last thing that came into his mind was Hageshii's hand piercing through his torso, the older teenager spitting out sick words at him before vanishing. The gates to the model of the village closing… And then…?

However, he couldn't stop his body from trembling violently, even as Kaoru came over and helped him sit up.

Warmth!

Right? That was how everyone described it as. Haruke stared around in horror, his body still shaking as he tried to catch his heaving breathes. What was happening? What was this? Why could he feel…? Why could he hurt? Why could he fear?

"Haruke," Kaoru snapped, then winced as he touched Haruke's neck to feel for a pulse, shocked at how icy cold his skin was, "He's freezing!"

"He was dead a couple seconds ago," Kakuzu drawled as he leaned against the wall with his arms folded over his chest, "It doesn't surprise me. Give him your cloak and take him to your room so he can warm up."

"And the body?" Sasori asked with interest, his dark eyes staring at Zakuro's body. Haruke jerked his head to stare at Zakuro's corpse, his eyes going wide before he looked at Kaoru, who put his cloak on Haruke's shoulders.

"W…" Haruke's teeth chattered. He felt so weird, what was this feeling? Was this really what cold felt like? He hated it! Kaoru hooked his arms under Haruke's and heaved him up the best he could, grimacing a little.

"Haruke, can you stand?" He asked, but watched as Haruke's knee buckled, so he kept his arms under Haruke's. Haruke shivered, feeling a wave of sickness wash over him, like he wanted to vomit.

"Weird…" He managed and slumped backwards against Kaoru, who winced. Deidara snickered, leaning on a boulder as he stuck his tongue out and winked.

"Hehe, looks like that kid came back pretty damn healthy, hmm. He's gonna have loads of fun here." He taunted. Kaoru glared at him.

"He nor Kaoru will be staying long." A voice stated. Kaoru froze and Deidara blinked, pouting a little as he glanced over to see Madara walk into the cavern, dropping the hood of his Akatsuki cloak, but keeping his mask on.

"Kaoru, take Haruke to your room. Let him rest, meanwhile, you will have to assist the other members in abandoning this hideout. Itachi and his wife as well as their brat, Roku, are on their way here. They should be here by midnight and we must all be gone by then… Kaoru, you are to go with them back to Konohagakure, keep a close eye on Ruriko, she's got a job to do." He informed sternly. Kaoru's eyes narrowed, averting to the side as Madara moved to go past him before he stopped beside Kaoru, tilting his head to look at him, his mask hiding the devilish smirk behind it.

"Don't disappoint me, Kaoru…" He murmured, then reached out and ran his finger down Kaoru's cheek, making his son shudder and jerk away from his touch. Madara dropped his hand and seemed to vanish into thin air. Kaoru gritted his teeth.

"Sasori," Pein turned to the puppet master, "You may take the corpse immediately. Kaoru, good luck." He sounded almost sarcastic and Kaoru blinked, going to turn, but when he looked up, none of the Akatsuki members were present, nor was Zakuro's carcass. Kaoru frowned and looked down at Haruke before pulling the boy up into his arms. He sighed and carried Haruke down several winding hallways that weren't even entirely finished by the formation of the rocks inside. He eventually found his room, which only had a tarp as a door. He walked to the sleeping mat laid out across the floor, bending down and setting Haruke down.

He stepped back and turned with a sigh, shaking his head and leaving the room to get to work. He could tell things were about to become more and more stressful…

**Later…**

Comfortable… Safe… Was this warmth? Yes, it was how Kaoru's hands felt against his icy skin… Yes. Warmth was a feeling. Icy was a feeling. Comfort, safety… Haruke's dark blue eyes flickering open slowly, but only slightly as he could still feel that throbbing pain somewhere in his head. He curled his hands around the warmth that lay over him and pulled up higher over his head, sighing comfortably.

_This is… warmth… I like it… Is this what it feels like when someone hugs you? All these feelings are colliding together, but this one is my favorite… So nice…_ He thought comfortably, nuzzling the cloak and rolling over onto his side. He felt a slight pang somewhere at the center of his torso and he winced, his hand sliding over the place where he had been wounded before. Haruke blinked, staring across the room at the wall.

_Wound… It didn't hurt then, but… That's right. Hageshii came up behind me- That bastard… If I ever get my hands on him again, I'll kill him…! Wait. Kill him… My jutsu… Would it still work? Was I reborn with my abilities again if I was born with the ability to feel?_ He thought in horror and shot up quickly, then gasped as he felt an odd feeling go up his back and into his head, causing the throbbing to get worse. He gently grasped the sides of his head, applying a bit of pressure as he grimaced.

"Ow… Ow, headache…" He grumbled to himself before slowly pushing the cloak away from himself. He winced again and slowly got onto his knees, pushing himself up, wobbling only a bit before he caught his balance. He looked around the closed in room, then at the tarp hanging as a door. He blinked and walked over, pushing the tarp aside, staring at it for a moment.

_It… Feels like the cloak, but it's cold… I hate cold._ He thought, glaring at the tarp and stepping out. He sniffed the air and looked around, reaching out to touch one of the walls, his eyes scaling up.

_Cold too. Why is everything so cold? Have they always been so cold?_ He wondered, frowning as he pulled his hand away and stepped back, ready to move down the hallway, but he heard a familiar scuffing of footsteps and a pebble was kicked across the hall, touching his foot, instantly making him take a step away at the cold feel. Haruke blinked and jerked his head up, his eyes widening immediately to meet a pair of painfully familiar dark green ones.

"Well, well, well. Look who's alive." Hoshigaki Hageshii muttered icily, his eyes glinting in a predatory manner. Haruke stared at him, then glared, clenching his fists, forgetting his fascination at the ability to feel his nails digging into his palms.

"You! You killed me!"

"You're damn right I did," Hageshii retorted, folding his arms over his chest, "I told you why I did just before your lights went out and I stand by what I said. You're weak because you didn't kill you parents, you're weak because you cry like the little brat that you really are, and you're weak because you're all bark and no bite."

"Shut up," Haruke spat, glaring angrily, "I'm not… I didn't kill them because I wanted to kill them myself! I most certainly do NOT cry and I could easily kill you! I don't have to talk your ear off!"

"Then do it." Hageshii stated and spread his arms, smirking at Haruke, who stiffened, staring at him. This guy was crazy… But so am I, Haruke realized with a frown. He was threatening this guy and he didn't even know if he could still use his voodoo jutsu anymore! His unique style of combining creativity, art, and jutsu… The pause wasn't the greatest thing to do because Hageshii's teeth flashed in a laugh before he lunged forward, wrapping his fingers around Haruke's neck tightly.

Haruke's eyes widened in shock at the sensation. His chest felt hot, hotter than warm, on fire and he tried to sucked air into his lungs, but nothing happened. His feet left the ground as Hageshii hoisted him up, then threw him against the wall, still holding him by the neck. Haruke managed a hoarse gasp of pain, his vision flashing with colors.

_Ow! Ow, it hurts! This is pain…? I hate it! I don't want it! I can't breath! His nails are digging deeper and deeper into my neck, he'll crush my windpipe! Agh, pain! There's too much!_ His mind reeled and crashed as the new sensations escaped out his throat as a scream.

"It hurts! Let go!" He shouted and Hageshii's eyes seemed to glitter with amusement, his head cocking almost like an interested dog.

"Hurts? Is that so? Tell me how this feels!" Hageshii ordered and threw Haruke down the hallway. Haruke gasped as his body hit the ground, rolled for a moment before he was on his stomach, panting for air. The searing hot sensation of pain exploded through his head and back, the odd flavor of metallic liquid in his mouth, dribbling down the side. He grasped at the dirt, his fingers dragging through it as he attempted to get to his feet, but Hageshii was at him again, bringing his foot into Haruke's ribcage.

A sickening crack rang out and Haruke couldn't even scream, his eyes wide before he squeezed them shut, his nails digging into the dirt as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Well, well," Hageshii smirked, then crouched down and grabbed a handful of Haruke's hair, jerking his head back and making Haruke gasp in pain, "You really can feel, hm? How do you like the feel of pain, kid? Hurts, doesn't it? I'm finally getting the pleasure of beating your worthless carcass to a bloody pulp, maybe it is a good thing you're back." He jerked Haruke's head back further, ripping free strands of hair and making Haruke fall over onto his back. Hageshii jerked hard and stood up a bit, smirking down at Haruke, who gasped, clawing at his hand, his eyes screwed shut.

"Let go of me! Let go!"

"Just what I want to hear." Hageshii crooned, then dropped Haruke's head so it hit the ground. Haruke gasped. Hageshii reached down and grabbed the front of Haruke's blood stained gray shirt, jerking him to his feet. Haruke stumbled and tripped, trying to stay balanced as Hageshii basically dragged him down the hallway. Haruke choked and gasped, spitting up droplets of blood.

"I hope… Someone kills you…" He managed and Hageshii laughed.

"Anyone, but you? Some threat! Don't tell me you're going good on me, Haruke! That's just gonna make things so much better!" He mocked ruthlessly and easily made his way through the main cavern toward the exit of the hideout so they ended up on the ledge that hung out over a swirling sea as the sky grew dark blue, signaling the lateness of the day.

Haruke grimaced as Hageshii jerked sharply on the front of his shirt, then looked down into the raging ocean below, the churning dark waters like giant hands clawing up the side of the cliff. Haruke stared in awe, getting the cool sensation of the ocean mist against his face. He blinked in confusion at the sensation, then yelped as Hageshii tore him forward by the back of his yukata and shirt, holding him right over the ocean. Haruke's eyes went wide in horror as he kicked his feet, one of his black ninja boots sliding off his foot and getting swallowed by the angry sea below.

"Now, let's play Hageshii says," Hageshii grinned toothily, amusement clear on his face at Haruke's terrified expression, "Do what I say or I'll drop you, little by little until you're hurling face down into the water down there… And let me tell you, around this time of day, it can get pretty damn cold and I'm sure you don't want to die a second time, do you?"

"P-Put me down! Put me down right now or I swear to the gods I'll…!"

"You'll what? Babble my ear off? Please… Now, let's try something easy. Why don't you scream, huh?"

"Screw you!" Haruke shouted and Hageshii loosened his grip on Haruke's clothes so he jerked downwards. Haruke screamed, grabbing at the front of his shirt and kicking his feet, making Hageshii laughed.

"That's what I thought! Now why don't you start by begging for my forgiveness after you underestimated me?"

"N-No! Put me down, Hageshii! You hotheaded freeloader!"

"You're making this even more fun." Hageshii grinned and loosened his grip, making Haruke scream again and reach up to claw at his hand, his nails breaking off as he tried to scratch at Hageshii's hand through his glove. Hageshii winces as one of Haruke's nails cut through the fishnet on the palm of his glove, cutting into his hand. He let go and Haruke started to fall, but he snatched him again with his other hand, his dark green eyes growing darker and more dangerous.

"You're a real pain in my ass, you know that?"

"Then why didn't you drop me?" Haruke blurted, his voice shaking. Hageshii's eyes seemed to grow brighter with rage and he went to let go, but he felt a cold metal tip on the back of his neck, making him smirk cruelly.

"Would you look at that? It's Madara's boy." He stated. Kaoru stood behind him with a kunai to the back of his neck, his lilac eyes darkened and narrowed.

"Shut your mouth, Hageshii, and put Haruke on the ground, now." He threatened coldly, making Hageshii chuckle a little.

"Will you?"

"Believe me, I can kill you and I will. I'm not scared of your mommy and daddy coming after me with knives and pitchforks." Kaoru growled. Hageshii scowled and rolled his eyes, then swung around and let go of Haruke's yukata to drop him to the ground. Haruke gasped in pain, wincing as he hunched over, holding his arms over his ribcage. Kaoru kept his kunai pointed in Hageshii's face as one of the marks on Kaoru's other hand slid down, coiling with several more to help Haruke to his feet. Haruke winced, staring at the ground in shock at all the raging agony that catapulted around inside him.

"Of course you aren't," Hageshii muttered before smirking mockingly, "Because you're a special little monster, aren't you?" Kaoru's eyes visibly flickered, a muscle twitching under his eye.

"You're stupid. Come on, Haruke." Kaoru muttered, taking Haruke by his shoulder. Haruke glared at him, then seemed to recognize him, his eyes widening.

"You… Kaoru. You're that guy, the one that stole my mom's diary-"

"We'll catch up later," Kaoru interrupted, flashing a glare over his shoulder at Hageshii, who just watched them with a venomous smirk, "Let's get out of here."

"But-"

"Now." Kaoru drawled and pushed on Haruke's shoulder, making him walk ahead as Kaoru followed after him, his Akatsuki cloak draped on his shoulders and billowing behind him as he vanished with Haruke into the darkness of the cavern. Hageshii's eyes narrowed.

"I'll kill you eventually… And I'll make sure you stay dead." He muttered and shot off over the cliff, disappearing into the night.

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**A/N: This took much longer to finish than I intended and it kind of annoys me, but meh, sorry if the ending was a little sketchy… There's a lot of drama going on with my friends and it's making me really mad, so expect some graphic fighting scenes in the future ._.; I didn't want to keep Haruke dead either :( I wasn't finished showing off what goes on inside that little head of his :3 He's so cute~ ANYWAY :D Thanks very much for reading, hope the characters are okay, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	39. Chapter 39

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Thirty-Nine: **Cure the Incurable! Momentary Peace!**

"Why am I here? Hageshii killed me, I know he did. What did you do?" Haruke demanded as he walked beside Kaoru down the dark hallway. Kaoru frowned as he pulled his cloak closer around himself, pulling the hood up over his head.

"You can thank Zakuro for that. I was originally going to give your body to Zetsu to devour, but Zakuro stopped me. He convinced me to tell Akatsuki to use a forbidden jutsu to bring you back."

"Forbidden jutsu?"

"It's called Soul Reincarnation, originally used some old man in the mountains of Iwagakure. The jutsu brings one soul back from the dead in exchange for another one and the process normally wipes out some chakra, so that's why all the Akatsuki members seemed to disappear, most of them were using holograms to appear there."

"Wait, who's soul…?"

"Zakuro's." Kaoru stated. Haruke stopped walking and stared at him in disbelief. He'd always thought Zakuro was annoyed with him as Hageshii was. He averted his eyes, frowning a little. Kaoru frowned, looking back at him.

"Don't you remember when you woke up?" He asked. Haruke stared at him blankly. Kaoru sighed, shaking his head and continued walking. Haruke ran to catch up with him, his fists clenched.

"Wait, so what happens now? Did you find my body? I'm not staying here, am I?"

"We wait. Madara and I found your body. No, we're not staying here."

"Wait for what? If we're not staying, why are we waiting? You-"

"Jeez, you ask way too many questions. Look, just stick by me while there are still members of Akatsuki in here because I'm sure some of them would love to play with you and that's not part of the plan. Hageshii already found that out, but he's probably going to come find you again. You've made a bad enemy."

"Screw him, he's a worthless piece of trash anyway!"

"Says the one who was dangling over the edge by his collar."

"Shut up! I… I didn't know what to do! It was new! What is all this? When I woke up in your room, that cloak… It felt… I don't know how you'd describe it, warm? But, everything is really cold, I think… I think it's cold." Haruke managed, looking confused and a bit annoyed by the fact. Kaoru glanced at him, frowning.

"So, you really can feel things now?"

"Of course! I think… When Hageshii kicked me, it hurt. It still hurts. It's like something inside me is broken."

"He probably broke one of your ribs… Jeez, that asshole. I'll have someone come in and heal that before we head to the surface and wait. You can't greet your parents with a busted rib." Kaoru answered and Haruke stopped walking, going stiff. Kaoru stopped as well, turning part way around to look at him.

"What?" He asked. Haruke stared at him.

"My parents? They're coming _here_?"

"Yea. We're supposed to wait for them and go back to Konohagakure, where they'll probably test you and try and figure out how your so-called incurable condition was cured. It's going to come off as a miracle, but whatever you do, do _not_ tell anyone that you were dead. If your parents, especially your mom, finds out that you were dead, they'll come give Madara hassle." Kaoru explained calmly, rolling his eyes. Haruke blinked thoughtfully for a moment before glaring at Kaoru.

"Wait, a minute. Why would you come back to Konohagakure with me? You're a criminal, you work for Akatsuki, and you're the son of Madara."

"I have a mission to do… Besides, I sort of miss being around a bunch of weirdos, it makes me feel somewhat normal."

"A mission? What kind of mission?"

"The none-of-your-business mission."

"No! If you're going to do something to hassle _my_ parents, then no." Haruke stated, folding his arms over his chest and glaring firmly. Kaoru raised an eyebrow, putting a hand on his hip.

"I thought you wanted to kill them. What happened to that?"

"Shut up, it's not your concern. It's mine. The only one who can give my parents grief is me, not you, not Madara, not even Hageshii."

"And how're you going to stop me if you don't even know if you can still use that voodoo jutsu of yours?"

"Give me materials and we'll see."

"Yea, right… Look, I don't want to be your enemy, all right? You're grown up now, not a pesky little kid anymore. Just do what I say-"

"Not if you're going to hurt my parents." Haruke cut in sharply. Kaoru frowned deeply, then harrumphed and turned his head the other way with a rather comical pouting expression.

"Fine, whatever. Do what you want, but you're still going back to Konohagakure and you're taking me with you."

"We'll just see about that." Haruke answered bitterly, glaring. Kaoru turned his head with a huff and went down the hallway. Haruke stood by himself in the hallway, glaring after Kaoru before he felt a somewhat cold breeze on his back, ruffling his yukata. He shivered and looked down to see goose bumps flying over his skin. He stared in fascination, lifting his arm, then wincing at the pang in his ribs. He looked down and ran a hand over them, grimacing as he noticed a bruise forming over a part of his ribcage. He sighed, frowning a little.

_I guess I really don't have a choice._ He thought in annoyance and headed down the hallway after Kaoru, shaking his head.

**On the way**

The forest was slowly beginning to become thin as the salty smell of the ocean became stronger and stronger, tall green grass billowing in the midnight wind. The stars swirled through sky like long fingers, glittering and shining. The moon glowed fully, watching the events unfold down below. Leaves fluttered to the ground as three figures shot through the last part of the woods before landing out on the cliff where the tall green grass whispered gently.

"Here," Roku sniffed the air, glancing around, "I smell chakra… Haruke's. And another's."

"Another's?" Ruriko asked uneasily, her lavender eyes scanning through the darkness as she listened. The only sound seemed to be the wind softly hissing and the sound of the angry ocean waves crashing down below against the cliffside. Itachi looked around carefully before he stopped, putting a hand on Ruriko's shoulder.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Listen." Itachi, Ruriko, and Roku stayed silent, listening. It sounded like footsteps on dirt, or maybe rock? Roku sniffed a little more and if he had ears like a dog, they'd of perked up as a scent touched his nose, but it wasn't chakra. It was just a normal smell, a warm smoky sort of smell mixed in with the salty scent of the ocean. His eyes caught sight of two figures shooting up from the other side of the cliff and landing in the tall grass. Roku blinked and grabbed both Ruriko's and Itachi's arm, giving them a shake.

"Ruriko, Itachi!" He exclaimed and pointed. They immediately looked in the direction Roku was pointing his finger. Ruriko's eyes widened as she immediately recognized one of the figures, her heart leaping into her throat, choking her up as her eyes burned with tears.

"Haruke?" Haruke tried not to jump in surprise, his eyes flickering in the dark as he saw his parents and Roku standing across the field. Kaoru sighed.

"They beat us here," He muttered, then glanced at Haruke, who stared straight at them as if confused, "Remember, don't say anything about what happened." Even as he spoke, he knew Haruke was hardly listening.

In a flash, Ruriko was running and catching him in her arms, hugging him tightly. Haruke gasped a little in surprise, holding onto her as he felt his feet lift off the ground. Ruriko held him, tears streaming down her face as she buried her face against his cheek, kissing him repeatedly.

"Oh, Haruke, I'm so glad you're all right! Oh my god, you're okay! I'm so sorry, Haruke, I really am! I missed you so much!" She managed to say without choking up anymore, falling to her knees as she held Haruke in her arms. Haruke blinked, then pulled back a little, staring at her.

"What… I… Uh… You're warm…" He said at last. Ruriko wiped her eye, looking at him a bit confused as she reached out, brushing hair from his face.

"Honey, what're you talking about?" She asked, checking his face over. Haruke stared at her some more, then reached out and hugged her around the neck. Ruriko blinked, then put her arms around him again, smiling faintly as she kissed his head.

"I love you so much, Haruke… I always have and I always will." She murmured. Haruke closed his eyes and sighed against her.

"I know…" He answered at last before pulling away again. Ruriko stood up, rubbing at her eyes as Roku and Itachi approached. Haruke stood up, averting his eyes before he looked up at his father. He was almost afraid to see Itachi get angry as he'd never seen his father lose his cool, but he was surprised when Itachi bent down and hugged him tightly.

"I don't think I've been that scared in a long time… I'm glad you're safe, Haruke." Itachi said softly, holding him. Haruke blinked.

"You're not mad?" He asked, confused as he pulled back to look at his father, those deep onyx eyes showing nothing, but sadness.

"No… Just relieved that you're safe."

"What about Mitsuru…? And Miwa and Manabu? Are they all right too?" Haruke asked with a frown, tilting his head. Itachi reached out and ruffled Haruke's hair, a small, faint smile crossing his lips.

"They're all right, waiting for you to come back home."

"Mitsuru doesn't want to kill me?"

"I can't make any promises." Itachi answered a bit dryly and Haruke cracked a smile, despite a bit of sadness that seemed to be written on his face. Ruriko smiled, then blinked and looked up to see Kaoru watching from a couple feet away, his expression one of lazy interest.

"Uchiha Kaoru." She stated. Kaoru glanced up at her, his slate hair falling away from his face to reveal the curling dark purple marks that were deeply etched into his creamy skin.

"Hey, did Nakusu give you your diary back?" He asked. Ruriko glared.

"Yes."

"All right… I wanted to apologize for taking it. Madara's the one who wanted it, not me."

"But you hate your dad." Ruriko stated. Kaoru's eyes seemed to glint dangerously in the moonlight before they turned sad. Ruriko remembered that same, abused puppy look from way back when they first met and she felt her heart melting.

"He's not my dad."

"Kaoru-"

"I want to go with you." He said. Ruriko blinked. Itachi rose to his feet, his hand on Haruke's head before he glanced over at Kaoru with a bit of suspicion. Roku sniffed a little, as if trying to sniff the lie, looking at Kaoru uneasily. Kaoru's expression was still dreary as he looked at them.

"I don't want to be around him anymore, none of them. I'm sick and tired of being picked on… And Nakusu's the one who got me thinking about it. He asked me, back in Rou, to come with him and stay in the village, away from Madara, away from Akatsuki, but I was afraid to go because I was afraid Madara would come after me or something, or maybe I wouldn't be accepted there either, but I want to try… If you'll let me." He added quietly, averting his eyes. Ruriko frowned and opened her mouth, but Haruke cut her off.

"Let him come with us, mom." He spoke up. Itachi and Ruriko stared at him. Haruke frowned, looking at Kaoru, who looked back at him.

"It's not like I'm showing pity or anything… I just think it's better that he comes with us because if he does, he can tell us everything about Madara." He replied. Ruriko's eyes seemed to light up at the idea, although, Itachi still seemed suspicious as he glanced over at Kaoru, who was trying very hard not to glare at Haruke.

"All right," Ruriko agreed, "Come back with us to Konohagakure and tell the Hokage as well as Konohagakure's Police Force about any plots that Madara has told you… We'll also consult the interrogation team to test you. In the mean time, we'll take Haruke to the hospital to get him checked up… And Roku, I want you to find out more about that Naoki kid. His abilities are awfully close to yours." Roku blinked and nodded. Haruke seemed to snap out of his staring contest with Kaoru to jerk his head up, staring at his mother.

"Naoki? He's still alive?" He asked. Ruriko nodded and Itachi looked at Haruke.

"He and kunoichi were taken back to the village… They were at your base from before." He added, frowning a bit. Haruke seemed to stare off into space for a moment before his eyes got lazy and he stifled a yawn.

"It's late," Itachi decided, looking at Ruriko, who blinked, "We should probably camp nearby and rest. It's going to take a while to get back to the village from here. We'll discuss the plans in the morning, for now, we'll rest."

"But… What about the village? They're not still under attack, are they?" Ruriko asked. Everyone looked at Haruke, who stared at them, then quickly looked at Kaoru. He couldn't remember! He died in the midst of hopefully stopping the attack, without even knowing for sure if he had saved them or not. Kaoru stared back.

_Yes, you did save them… You closed the gates. The final attack of the troops was pushed back by Anbu Black Ops… You're not as evil as you thought you were, Haruke._ He thought and Haruke looked back at them, taking a guess from Kaoru's look.

"They're safe." He answered. Ruriko sighed with relief.

"Good… Well, anyway, your father's right. Let's set up camp. Roku, why don't you go fishing for us?" She asked with a wink. Roku blinked, then beamed.

"Yes! I will find sticks too and we can have kushiyaki!" He declared and raced off toward the edge of the cliff past Kaoru, who looked at Ruriko and Itachi as they led the way toward the edge of the woods. Together, the camp was set up easily with supplies Kaoru had salvaged from the old Akatsuki base, now completely abandoned. A fire was sparked, smoke curling toward the dark sky as Roku returned with fish, one hanging out of his mouth as he happily plopped down by the fire. He sharpened several small sticks, set the fish near the fire and left to find fruits and vegetables to add on. Ruriko sat by the fire, staring a bit sadly as she ran her fingers through her disheveled, badly cut hair. Itachi sat beside her, glancing out the corner of his eye.

"You still have plenty of time to grow it all out again." He told her. Ruriko blinked and looked at him, then smiled faintly.

"No, it's fine… Besides, it was always such a hassle to take care of anyway. Brushing was hell too." She added, making a face. Itachi shook his head, hiding the smile on his face before he looked at Haruke, who was curled up between them, using his mother's jacket as a blanket and Itachi's Jounin vest as a pillow. Ruriko smiled down at him, reaching out and stroking his hair. Haruke sighed in his sleep, burying his face against the vest.

"Ruriko… What did Haruke tell you when you hugged him?" Itachi asked suddenly, looking up at her. Ruriko blinked and looked up, thoughtful for a moment before shrugging.

"He stuttered, but he just said I was warm… Why?"

"Ruriko." Itachi deadpanned. Ruriko stared at him before her eyes widened and she lifted her hand off Haruke's head, staring down at him in awe. The warm glow of the fire crackling and Haruke's soft breathing, the sound of the crickets chirping and Roku moving around for food were the only sounds in that moment before Ruriko looked up.

"You don't think…?"

"I'm not quite sure… Kaoru must know."

"Kaoru must know what?" Kaoru asked as he came out of the shadows of the forest, his cloak's hood down to reveal that he had gone off to cut some of his slate colored hair on the right side shorter than the left, his bangs brushed toward the right as much as possible to hide the marks.

"Kaoru, Haruke said… He said that I felt warm, but that's impossible. Haruke has a condition-"

"I know," Kaoru said, cutting Ruriko off, making her scowl a little as he came over to sit across from them on the other side of the fire, "Something called CIPA, he can't feel pain, change in temperatures, and whatever. I don't know what happened."

"In fact," Itachi began, making Kaoru glance at him out the corner of his eye, "How exactly did Haruke end up with you in the first place if he was almost a country away?" Kaoru's lilac eyes seemed to glow as the fire crackled and hissed, shooting embers over the rocks around the wood.

"I thought he was dead," Kaoru said at last, making Ruriko stiffen, "He was lying on the ground in his room, back at that hideout. So I picked him up and I was going to convince Akatsuki to use a forbidden jutsu, but when I got back, Haruke was already waking up, but he couldn't remember how he went unconscious in the first place. He was really cold too, he kept saying it. I don't know, but whatever happened cured him."

"That's impossible," Ruriko protested in confusion, using her hands to gesture, "There's no cure for it, even Lady Tsunade said so. She said-"

"Lady Tsunade was an old hag," Kaoru muttered dryly, making Ruriko scowl, "She was old and going senile, so how would she know? And there's no KNOWN cure… Obviously someone knew, but I don't know who. Just be happy that he's somewhat normal again."

"You've got a mouth on you." Ruriko growled. Kaoru shrugged as he slid off his cloak, laying it on the ground.

"I was born to a criminal, lived around criminals, and became a criminal. It's not really my fault, it was just the way I was raised. You parents need to get your heads straight. Your kids usually end up how you raise them." He answered. Ruriko opened her mouth to argue, but stopped as she let his words settle in. She cringed and looked down at Haruke, then back up at Itachi, but he was staring into the fire with his hands clasped together, his mouth resting on them. Ruriko frowned and looked over to question, but she was surprised to see Kaoru already asleep on his cloak. She sighed and looked up as Roku came back from the woods with some edible plants and fruit.

She watched as Roku cut up the fish with a kunai, slicing the fruit and veggies, moving pretty fast. Ruriko blinked.

"How do you do that?" She asked with interest. Roku blinked, then smiled, holding up a neatly stacked kushiyaki for her to take.

"Practice. I live alone, so I make food for myself if I can afford it."

"Wow… Roku, haven't you ever thought of getting a girlfriend maybe? You're older now and you're very smart, good-looking." Ruriko drawled, gesturing at Roku, who visibly blushed in front of the glow of the fire. Roku's chocolate brown hair was a bit flatter now, just under his ears with his headband over his forehead, that single strand in a red bead as it had been for years. He wore his Jounin uniform proudly with the black jumpsuit beneath it, a white scarf going around his waist with a ton of metal skewers clinging together. His gold eyes were extremely alluring.

"Don't want a girlfriend." Roku answered. Ruriko raised an eyebrow.

"A boyfriend then?" She asked. Roku turned red.

"No!" He cried. Ruriko laughed and Itachi glanced at her, an eyebrow raised and his lips pursing in an expression that said 'you're terrible'. Ruriko merely beamed innocently.

"Well, still. Doesn't it get a little lonely around your apartment?" She asked after a while, cocking her head and biting off some fish from her skewer. Roku licked some blood from the raw fish on his skewer off his lips before shrugging.

"That's why I visit Ruriko and Itachi." He told her with a smile. Ruriko smiled back and sighed.

"Jeez, it feels like just yesterday I was teaching you how to say my name," She whined miserably, pouting, "You're growing up too fast, slow down!" Roku laughed and Itachi smiled. Roku leaned on a nearby tree, looking up at the sky thoughtfully.

"I am happy that you helped me, Ruriko. I was stupid for a long time, but you helped me be smart, do something." His expression seemed to grow tired, his gold eyes slowly closing. Ruriko stared at him for a while, then looked at Itachi, who was settling down to sleep as well.

"He makes me sound like a saint." She muttered as she slid down to sleep as well, lying down on one side of Haruke, Itachi on the other, their arms folded up under their heads and another lying across their son.

"You saved him, that's why." Itachi said, his voice quiet as Haruke seemed to sigh again in his sleep. Ruriko looked at him for a while as she propped her head up, then lowered her eyes to Haruke's sleeping face. She ran her fingers through his hair and sighed.

"He's making me out to seem so kindhearted, but I'm not. It's got me feeling guilty."

"Everyone has a mix of light and dark inside them. You shouldn't feel guilty… Let's rest, it'll take time to get back to Konohagakure in the morning."

"You're right…" Ruriko sighed and laid her head back down on her arm and let her fingers thread together with Itachi's, their eyes closing. The fire crackled for a while, but slowly went out by itself as it devoured the wood keeping it alive. Smoke gently rose into the cool midnight air, the moon glaring as the stars twinkled like tears. The last embers of the fire sparked and rolled across the dirt toward Kaoru, who was still fast asleep, sprawled on his back so his bare torso was revealed. Dark purple marks curled and stretched with each breath their host took as he dreamt.

"_Kaoru, come here. I want to tell you a story…" Madara said calmly as he sat in a kneeled position at a small round table in a dark room of an old hotel. A six-year-old Kaoru felt his face grow warm behind his curtain of medium-length slate hair, his lilac eyes looking at his father with distrust. Madara looked just as threatening without his mask, his oddly colored eyes watching him closely. Kaoru shifted uncomfortably in his seat on the other side of the table before he inched over across the floor, wearing only a pair of navy shorts with buckles pulling up at the bottoms on the sides and a pale blue shirt with a low cut collar._

"_Did I do something?" He asked uneasily, his voice quieter. Madara shook his head and reached out, lifting Kaoru up under his arms. Kaoru cringed at first, but looked at his father in confusion as he was placed in his lap. Madara reached out and took a sip of tea, sighing with a faint smile on his face, although, his smiles seemed to always be hinted in danger and wickedness._

"_You listen closely, Kaoru. I'm going to tell you an important story and you have to pay attention."_

"_Okay…"_

"_Once upon a time, there was a very powerful person, a priest. They called him the Sage of the Six Paths…"_

Kaoru rolled over, sighing in his sleep as the marks seemed to squirm on his skin, inching around. Kaoru pulled his cloak up over his head, still deep asleep as he dreamt on.

"_Catch that boy!" A man shouted angrily, rushing down the street. Kaoru, as he was presently, stood at the end of the street, staring as he watched a boy come racing down the street. He wore only a long sleeved gray shirt with a very low cut collar, the sleeves sliding off his shoulders. His hair was dark reddish orange, loose flying and short, but the most stunning feature were his sea blue eyes. Round and bright, innocent and young._

"_Catch him, someone! He's stolen from my cart!" The bulky man chasing after the boy shrieked angrily. Kaoru could only watch as the boy ran and skidded to a stop in front of him, holding a bag of pastries in his arms, staring up. Kaoru stared back as the boy shied back with a look of curiosity and alarm before his eyes seemed to flicker and he smiled, leaning forward and holding out the pastries._

"_Feed the fire." The boy whispered and as his lips parted in a smile, Kaoru's eyes went wide at the sight of a pair of razor sharp teeth and snake, shooting out at his face._

Kaoru gasped and threw his cloak back, shooting upwards in a blast of cold sweat, his lilac eyes wide and the marks on his skin going still. He blinked a few times before wiping his forehead and grimacing.

_That was freaking weird… That kid was about as weird as you can get. He even beats me at it._ He thought in annoyance as he settled back down, but found himself unable to close his eyes in sleep.

Morning came as the sun sent a warm glow over the tall grass and thick forest beyond, birds taking flight as the shinobi packed up their things and headed out for Konohagakure.

****

**A/N: Sorry this is short :D I'm debating on a couple of ideas that I should use for this story, so yea… And this seemed like a good spot to end, haha. Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, hope the characters are all right, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	40. Chapter 40

**UPDATE WOO~!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the characters within this fan fiction, save for the ones that I have claimed as my own!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Chapter Forty: **Konohagakure is Crushed. We Are Shinobi!**

"The damage is tremendous, Lord Hokage, we also lost count in the death toll as there are bodies yet to be found. Several families are still trapped in their homes with children. A large amount of shinobi are critically wounded. We hardly have enough medical ninja to assist the civilians and shinobi all together." Mayu informed as she looked down at a report with a grimace as Hayai stood beside her, one of his bluish-lilac eyes covered with gauze. Naruto stared out over the village as he stood on the beat up rock cliff with the Hokage Faces etched deeply into their forms. Flames were started all over the village, homes and buildings destroyed in heaps of rubble, the red rain from earlier dried up or running with rivers of water from previous rain.

"We need assistance," Naruto turned to Mayu and Hayai, both of them looking up at attention, "Have someone send a messenger bird to Sunagakure for help. List all the supplies and ninja we'll need to help the village. Work quickly."

"Yes, Lord Hokage." They both bowed at the waist before turning and shooting off through the rubble.

"Sunagakure," Hayai echoed dryly, "Personally, I'd be fetching help from Kirigakure or even Yukigakure since they owe us a debt for saving their prince. He only chose Sunagakure because he and the Kazekage are practically joint at the hip." Mayu frowned as she tucked the file into her weapon's pouch.

"Hayai, Sunagakure has done some good for us in the past, more than just the kages being close."

"Just being honest."

"Some things are better left unsaid."

"Then why think them?" Hayai asked rather sarcastically. Mayu rolled her eyes and shot further ahead. Hayai sighed and rushed to catch up, both of them shooting past a collapsed alleyway. The alleyway made up of two buildings crushed together with a small, dark space as one person scrambled out, doing a little spin as he exited, a hand over his heart as he panted.

"Jeez! That happened way too fast!" Inuke gasped, blinking his blue eyes harshly against the dust that he kicked up. He brushed off his Anbu uniform and turned to see Kaede moving out of the alley after him, shaking out her medium-length orange hair, the braids at her temples flipping.

"Kuh, what a place to hide, kya! Well, come on, we still need to look around for my son-"

"Wait, wait," Inuke murmured as he listened, his eyes flying over the destroyed village, his eyes twinkling, "I just had a thought… We're working for Master Nozomu, he wants to destroy Konohagakure."

"I bet he does, kya."

"But, the village is in a weakened state now! He can easily just come in and take over!"

"Hm? Huh, would ya look at that, kya." Kaede mused and stood up straight, her eyes scanning the village thoughtfully. Inuke clenched his fists in front of him, looking rather proud of himself as he went up and down on his heels.

"Ha! So all we have to do is return and-"

"No, no," Kaede insisted, stomping a foot and pointing a finger in Inuke's face, "Hold up, mutt, we're not going anywhere until I find my baby!"

"Eh? You're still set on him? Kaede, I don't wanna burst your bubble, but if half the village was killed in Haruke's attack, what makes you think your son-"

"Oi," Kaede barked and grabbed Inuke by the front of his Anbu uniform, making him yelp in surprise, "He's _my_ son! Call it mother's intuition or whatever you want, but I _know_ he's alive! My baby's out here in this horrible village and I want him back! I want my baby back and I'll kill anyone to do it!" Inuke stared at her with wide eyes before he managed a shaky laugh, pointing at her.

"Hey, you didn't say kya at the end of your sentences." He pointed out weakly. Kaede blinked, then twitched and gave him a shove, huffing as she turned, folding her arms over her chest.

"Ugh, I don't have time for this, KYA! Come on, we need to keep searching. What we need to do is find that Hatake family, kya. They were heading the rescue of civilians earlier. They've got to have my son around there somewhere, kya."

"Do you even know what he looks like?"

"Of course! … Most of the way, kya."

"Jeez!"

"I haven't seen him since the prison guards took him away from me," Kaede muttered bitterly, digging her nails into her arms as she gritted her teeth, "Those bastards, kya. I hope they were killed in this whole mess, if not, I will do it myself, kya!" Inuke blinked, then beamed as he adjusted his Anbu mask to hang around his neck as they began to run down the street.

"That's cool! I wish my mother was as persistent as you are. She didn't bother come looking for me, but it didn't matter." He shrugged. Kaede blinked and glanced at him out the corner of her eye, taking a moment to realize that Inuke had never even spoken of his family. She only knew him as one of Nozomu's, previously Kotaro's, henchmen. He apparently joined at a rather young age, probably in his early teens. Kaede looked back ahead and narrowed her eyes determinedly before she moved faster, Inuke yelping and shooting to catch up.

**Meanwhile…**

"I did this…?" Haruke's eyes were wide, staring past the open north gates to the village, revealing the pure slaughter and destruction inside. Kaoru frowned, his arms folded over his chest, tilting his head.

"Consider yourself one of history's worst villains." He responded. Haruke twitched and flashed him a glare before looking back in awe, ignoring the pain in his chest. Something was pounding harshly against his ribs, his heart maybe? It made his chest tight and his breathing hitch.

Ruriko frowned, her fists clenched. She wanted to say something, anything, to wipe that look off Haruke's face, but anything she said would be wrong and hypocritical. Trying to comfort him was worthless because in truth, even she couldn't deny that the destruction was all Haruke's fault. Itachi kept silent as well as he knew the same and Roku merely averted his eyes, clenching his teeth behind his lips.

They began to walk into the village where shinobi were shooting back and forth, all around to rush and meet the needs of other wounded shinobi and civilians. Blood stained the village and the horrific scent of it hung heavy in the air. Ruriko immediately put an arm around Haruke's shoulders to keep him close, grimacing. Haruke was too busy staring at the scenes to feel the warmth of the arm around him.

Kaoru walked calmly, glancing around as if he'd seen much worse before looking back up ahead. Roku nibbled his lower lip.

"I should head straight to the Hokage's place, get him updated. Meet you at the hospital?" He asked them and received a couple nods before he returned it and shot off through the smoke and disaster. Their shoes crunched under gravel and rubble as they walked, the sound of yelling, shouting, and a child crying somewhere. A dog seemed to be howling mournfully and the sound of fire crackling all around.

"It's like some kind of apocalypse." Kaoru murmured, glancing out the corner of his eye to see an arm sticking out from a pile of what used to be a shop. Haruke winced and Ruriko merely put a hand on his ear, ignoring Kaoru swiftly as they walked. Itachi frowned, catching sight of the hospital as they rounded onto another ruined street.

"It looks like they didn't have any luck either." He muttered at the sight of the hospital building. At least two of the wings were completely crushed to nothing, but piles of cement and wire. Bodies seemed to be smashed underneath, blood gushing past the chunks of rubble and pooling around the ground. Haruke felt his stomach churn and he grasped it, in surprise and shame.

"I don't want to go in there." He stated. Ruriko blinked and looked at him worriedly.

"Haruke-"

"It's all right," Itachi said, putting a hand on her shoulder and looking down at Haruke, who was looking at his feet, "You three stay out here. I'll go into the hospital and see if I can find anyone."

"But…"

"You guys can go," Kaoru replied, "I'll take care of the kid.""And why should we trust you?" Ruriko muttered dryly, giving Haruke's shoulder a possessive squeeze. Haruke blinked and looked at her hand in fascination as Kaoru snorted and folded his arms over his chest.

"If he wasn't for me, he would be dead… Besides, I don't have a motive to kill him."

"I'll be fine." Haruke said at last, looking up at his parents, who shared looks. Itachi sighed, glancing at Kaoru a bit wearily before looking at Haruke and placing a hand on his head, ruffling his hair.

"Be safe… We'll be back soon, don't go anywhere at all." He added, making Ruriko nod in agreement before she stooped and kissed Haruke gently on the forehead before she and Itachi shot off into the hospital. Haruke watched them go and reached up to touch his forehead where he was kissed.

"What?" Kaoru asked, cocking his head to look at him curiously. Haruke blushed lightly, his eye twitching.

"I don't know. How do you describe kisses?" He asked. Kaoru shrugged."I've never been kissed, unless you count a kitten." He answered. Haruke stared at him and Kaoru looked away flatly, ending the conversation and bringing on an awkward silence. It was interrupted by the sound of a wailing. Haruke and Kaoru looked at each other, then let their eyes move toward the source of the sound. An abandoned trinket shop was creaking under the weight of a nearby fallen water tower, water spraying about.

Haruke started to take a step forward, but Kaoru caught his wrist, making him wince at the burn of how tight it was. He snapped his head to glare at Kaoru and caught the man glaring back at him.

"Oi, I promised your parents I'd watch you, now stay put."

"What? But, there's someone in there. I thought shinobi helped people, some of the time…"

"Well, well," Kaoru mused, throwing Haruke's wrist away and making the teenager scowl at him, rubbing his wrist, "Look who's changing. I thought shinobi were evil worthless bastards?"

"No," Haruke snapped, "They're not… All like that… Most of them are, sure, but Zakuro wasn't." Kaoru frowned, putting a hand on his hip and basically looking down his nose at him.

"Zakuro? What the hell does he have to do with anything?"

"Zakuro was a shinobi," Haruke began heatedly, clenching his fists and glaring at Kaoru, not at all bothered by the fact that Kaoru was at least a foot and a half taller and looming over him, "He fought defensively and he was tactical. He saved me even though I was a complete jerk to him. I'm not going to have him die in vain. Either you're gonna let me go help someone myself or you'll come with me. Take your pick because I'm not gonna leave someone behind." With that, Haruke whipped around on his heel and ran for the building.

Kaoru watched him for a moment with wide eyes before he rolled them and rushed after Haruke, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the hospital in hopes that Itachi and Ruriko wouldn't walk out anytime soon. In moments, Haruke was walking through the cramped doorway, the two frames having hit together, groaning under the building on top of it. The ceiling was crushed low, but not too low. Kaoru only had to stoop slightly, glancing around with a grimace.

Glass figurines were scattered about everywhere, toys busted and jewelry thrown about and blood was splattered in multiple corners. There was only the sound of the building creaking and groaning. Haruke frowned, peering through rubble and fallen beams, crouching to look under things. Kaoru stayed close behind him, frowning.

"See? It was nothing. They're probably already dead-"

"H-Help me…! I-Is anyone out there?" A small voice cried in terror. Kaoru smacked his forehead and looking up at the ceiling, mouthing 'why me' before he looked at Haruke, who had perked up. They turned to the left where a staircase was crushed, a small door that once led to a basement was partially opened, but a beam was smashed against it in an awkward position.

"Where are you?" Haruke demanded. There was coughing and shuffling, a small hand grabbing onto the opened door. A pink eye peered through helplessly, tears streaming.

"Here! M-My mommy's hurt! Please help!" She wailed and sniffled, hiccupping. Haruke frowned and stepped over broken glass, squeezing between smashed together shelves and Kaoru carefully picked his way after. He winced every so often as dust and dirt fell from the mass above. The way the building was creaking, no doubt it was going to give way soon.

"Haruke, you're an idiot," Kaoru muttered, "Forget them. They're trapped in there with that beam like that and if you move it, this place will come crashing down." Haruke scowled.

"Don't be such a coward. You can't die anyway, right?"

"That doesn't matter because you can die and I am so not bringing you back a second time, hear me? I'm beginning to regret bringing you back in the first place."

"Then leave," Haruke snapped, "If you won't help, you're in the way." Kaoru frowned and watched as Haruke turned to the door, getting on his hunches so he was level with the little girl on the other side of the door. The girl sniffled and hiccupped, tears streaming down her chubby little face, a deep gash going over her nose.

"M-My mommy's not doin' nothin'! She's not movin'!" She whimpered. Haruke looked at the beam against the door with a frown, then back at the girl.

"All right… Uh, calm down, okay? Step away from the door." He added and stood up, moving to the beam and examining it. Kaoru watched him, standing there casually before he looked at the little girl, who was trying to peer him before she caught sight of Kaoru.

Her eyes widened as she shifted to get a better look, her caramel hair falling loose over her forehead before she made a whimper sound.

_Ugh, this is a fucking waste of time_, Kaoru thought bitterly as soon as he caught the girl's terrified look, _she's just the same as everyone else. Why save someone like that if she and her dumb mom are just the same as everyone else? They can easily be replaced._ He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth before he reached up and placed a hand over the side of his face, turning it away and hiding the marks the best he could.

"Damn it," Haruke muttered as he bent to look at the beam, "It's completely stuck… And strength isn't one of my best abilities…" The girl sniffled and pointed past the crack in the door at Kaoru.

"Mister can help?" She asked. Haruke glanced at Kaoru, who blinked and looked at her with a frown.

"Why the hell are you pointing at me? I'm not helping you-"

"Kaoru." Haruke cut off. Kaoru scowled at him. The little girl sniffed and reached out, grasping a hand past the door up to her shoulder, looking at him sadly.

"If you're scared too, you can hold my hand." She offered, spreading her fingers out. Kaoru stared at her in disbelief and Haruke smirked at him, putting a fist on his hip.

"Eh?" He asked. Kaoru looked at him, then at the little girl before groaning and dropping his head into his hands.

"You're both terrible and I hope I never have to see you again after all this." He grumbled, not lifting his face up. Even as he spoke, Haruke watched in amazement as dark purple vines seemed to creep off Kaoru's hands and some slid from his clothes, moving forward. It seemed they almost had a mind of their own, some tangling themselves together to create a thicker rope that pushed on the door, a mumbled warning spoken to the girl, who stepped away and watched as the door shut.

A portion of the vines grabbed the beam tightly, curling and curling, winding itself in a chokehold. There was cracking and groaning as the beam began to crack in half. Haruke stepped away from it quickly to step beside Kaoru, who glance up past his fingers, watching the vines squeeze the beam into splinters.

The structure above groaned and grunted, but Kaoru's marks shot up toward the ceiling and began to weave a heavy blanket. Kaoru winced, sweat dotting on his face as the marks began to pull off the side of his face to assist the rest that were holding up the rubble.

"Damn it, Haruke, hurry up! I'm not that strong!" He snarled. Haruke blinked and nodded, running to the door. He threw it open to see the girl standing at the top of the stairs with wide pink eyes, her mother flopped on the steps beside her, face down. Behind them was a pile of rubble with blood seeping past. Haruke grimaced, but hurried forward and scooped the girl up into her arms.

"Crap," He muttered as the girl cried out to her mother, "Kaoru-"

"I got her! Just get your ass out of here!" Kaoru barked angrily under the stress. Haruke blinked and nodded quickly, running for the exit with the squirming girl in his arms.

"What about my mommy? She's still awake!"

"My friend's got her! Just hang on!" Haruke snapped. The girl gulped and clung to him tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as Haruke easily hit the ground on his knees, ignoring the roaring sting of pain that shot up as his skidded across the dirt on his knees before he rolled outside, skidding through the dirt until he came to a stop.

Inside, Kaoru shot an arm out toward the woman lying on the step unconsciously, dark marks flying from his hands and twirling together, catching the woman up hurriedly and bringing her flying back against him. He winced at the weight of her added to the weight of the structure before he managed to hold her an one arm, turning to face the exit.

He held his breath and the marks let loose, shooting back like a tape measure against his skin as he bolted for the door, the buildings around him grumbling and roaring as they began to collapse around him. He easily skidded out as he turned and hit the ground on his back, holding the woman in one arm and shooting a hand up to use the marks to knock back chunks of falling beams.

Kaoru gasped as he came to a stop outside, throwing himself up into a sitting position with his legs out and the woman lying in his lap. Kaoru coughed as dust flew up around him and the woman in his lap coughed lightly before her eyes fluttered open as the dust curled to a stop against the ground. She blinked and stared, gasping a little as her eyes fell on the man holding her.

"Wh-What happened…?" She managed. Kaoru stiffened and looked at her, his lilac eyes wide.

"Uh, mmph…" He quickly scrambled away from her as the little girl leapt out of Haruke's arms, wailing and running over.

"Mommy! Mommy!" She sobbed and threw herself into her mother's lap, hugging and kissing her mother, who gasped and held her tightly.

"Oh my goodness, Kirako! You're alive! You're safe!" She gasped, holding her daughter tightly before she rose to her feet, still holding her whimpering and crying daughter in her arms before looking up at Haruke, who was looking at Kaoru with a smirk.

"And you said you wouldn't help." Haruke retorted. Kaoru scowled.

"Shut up, you cocky little-"

"Shinobi," The woman murmured and the guys looked over at her as she smile lightly, "Thank you… Thank you so much… I don't know how I can repay you for this." Kaoru felt his face warm up, his eye twitching.

"Uh, please, don't."

"If there's anything you ever need, don't be afraid to contact me! Oh, right… Me, haha, sorry," The woman blushed lightly, "My name's Aneko." Haruke elbowed Kaoru, who reached up, brushing at his hair so it fell more over his face, hiding his blush and the curling dark purple marks.

"Name's Kaoru, this is my friend, Haruke… Really, just go find safety, maybe see a doctor." He added, pointing to his temple to indicate a cut near the woman's temple. She blinked and touched her head before nodding and running off. Kaoru watched her go and Haruke glanced at him.

"So?" He asked. Kaoru looked at him with an almost comical look of boredom.

"So what?" He asked. Haruke huffed and rolled his eyes in annoyance before he turned, a sudden thought hitting him, making his eyes widen.

"Manabu! Miwa! Mitsuru," He gasped, remembering the last time he saw them as he turned to look up at Kaoru, who winced, "We have to find them!"

"Hold up! I just wasted my time helping you rescue some dumb little girl and her mom-"

"This is our family," Haruke responded heatedly, making Kaoru blink, "Miwa, Mitsuru, Manabu, Nakusu, Shisui, Sasuke, everyone of them is our family. My family is your family. You can't possibly tell me you're willing to leave the only people who care about you to die." Kaoru stared at him, frowning slowly. He could think of several reasons and examples to back up an argument, but just as they appeared, they vanished at Haruke's words.

_OUR family, he says… Family. That's always been an interesting word…_ He thought as he felt his eyelids grow heavy, as if the thought was exhausting.

"What about your parents?" He asked. Haruke blinked and looked back at the hospital uneasily, pursing his lips before he looked back at Kaoru.

"They'll be fine. I know they will. It's the twins that I'm mostly worried about." He muttered. Kaoru merely nodded in response, turning with him as they shot off through the dust and smoke.

**Meanwhile…**

"Manabu! Manabu, where the hell are you?" Miwa's voice rang up over the crushed buildings as she ran around what used to be her uncle's home, her purple eyes flashing about worriedly, her blue hair flying behind her as she searched. The sound of rocks crumbling nearby made her whirl around with wide, hopeful eyes before she gasped.

A bloody enemy soldier scrambled from the wreckage, growling low in his throat with a pair of red, feline-pupil eyes, drool hanging from his lower lip. Miwa took a quick step back as the soldier lunged at her, snarling like a wild animal before a senbon hooked to a wire shot out of nowhere, going right through the soldier's temple, blood spraying before he hit the ground. Miwa looked up.

"Manabu!" She cried in exasperation as she watched Manabu stumble, catching his steps on a pile of cement, landing on the ground. His shirt was shredded and his hooded vest was burnt in several places, blood staining his clothes while cuts seemed etched into every part of his body, what looked like a cultish symbol of a triangle with a circle drawn onto his collarbone.

"Oh my god! Manabu, are you okay?" Miwa cried and rushed over to him, dropping her chained maul to the ground to grab his cheeks in her hands. Manabu winced and looked at her past his bluish gray hair.

"Ow, Miwa, that hurt… What about you? Are you okay?"

"Yea, sure, sure, fine- What did they do to you? Where did you get that symbol? Who did that?"

"Miwa, it doesn't matter," Manabu sighed, giving her a little push so he could breath better, "If we're both okay, we should go find Mitsuru. He's probably still with Shisui somewhere near the Hokage's residence."

Well, yea, but, Manabu! Someone flawed you!" Miwa whined and puffed out one of her cheeks in a comical pout, folding her arms over her chest. Manabu sweat dropped, pointing to the etched in symbol on his collarbone.

"Oh, that? Well, it could've been worse. That guy was harder to fight than you'd expect. Kept screaming about some god named Jashin."

"Who the hell is that?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad I don't believe in him, jeez. Come on, let's hurry up and go find everyone else. And help people on the way, there's bound to be civilians trapped in the wreckage."

"Oh, you're such a saint! You know, I think I'll worship you!" Miwa giggled teasingly as she scooped up her weapon, strapping it onto her back. Manabu rolled his eyes, blushing lightly with an almost stubborn look of refusal at the idea on his face. The twins started to head out of the Uchiha Complex, which was destroyed for the most part.

The only sounds were yelling, screaming, crying, and buildings finally caving under the pressure of others. Miwa grimaced and grabbed Manabu's hand quickly, making him blink and glance at her before looking back at the street ahead. They walked another block or so until Miwa's foot stepped on something soft.

"Waaaan!" Miwa yelped and leapt back, grabbing onto Manabu's arm before she found herself staring down at a stuffed toy dog, its eyes hanging out of its head. Manabu felt a shiver shoot through him and he wasn't completely at all having Miwa cling to him as she scowled at the thing, giving it a kick.

"Ugly thing!" She snapped at it in annoyance, folding her arms over her chest now and huffing. Manabu looked at her with a raised eyebrow before there was an odd creaking sound. His eyes widened and he whipped around to stare at a nearby water tower, which was spewing water off into a nearby home, tittering toward them.

"Miwa, move!" He shouted and gave Miwa a shove, making her yelp and flail, darting forward on instinct. Manabu felt the shadow of the water tower fall over him and he jerked his head up to stare at it in horror before a pair of arms wrapped around him and a body slammed into his, causing him to fly forward through the dirt, which was now being flooded with water as the water tower collapsed.

Water gushed through the streets and nearby homes as the tower crashed into the ground as well as a line of shops across the street, soaking everything. Manabu gasped and flung his head back for air as water rushed up to his neck before settling back down and he felt himself sitting against someone's chest.

"Idiot, don't stand there like a stupid rabbit." A voice muttered in his ear. Manabu's eyes widened and he scrambled away immediately, kicking up mud as he whirled around to see Haruke sitting there, wiping water from his face with his hair matted to his forehead.

"What the hell!" Miwa yelled angrily and snatched Manabu's arm, jerking him further away as Haruke glanced up with a slight frown. Miwa glared at him.

"What're _you_ doing here, traitor?" She demanded icily. Manabu just stared, his face drained of all color. He didn't even care as Miwa put her arms around him and held him close to her. Haruke stood up, kicking off one of his slippers so it plopped in the mud before he looked at them.

"What's it look like? I'm saving my little brother." He retorted. Miwa blinked and looked at him more suspiciously.

"What're you talking about? Aren't you the one that-" She was cut off as Manabu finally pulled away from her and rushed at Haruke, who stiffened a little. Manabu smacked him hard across the face without a thought, snapping Haruke's head to the side. Haruke gasped, mini-fireworks going off inside his head as his cheek stung. He clasped a hand on it and looked at Manabu with an almost comical expression of disbelief.

"That hurt! Jeez, you…" His voice trailed as he stared at Manabu's teary purple eyes. Manabu clenched his fists for a minute before he gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to cry anymore. He stepped forward and hugged Haruke's torso tightly, muttering.

"I hate you." Haruke blinked and looked at him in confusion, glancing at Miwa, who stared in as much disbelief as Haruke.

"Jeez, Manabu! I would've done that the other way around if I wasn't more mad at him!" Miwa exclaimed at last, putting a fist on her hip. Manabu leaned away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Haruke rubbed his cheek a little, grimacing.

"I do deserve that, but jeez… At least let me adjust." He muttered. Manabu scowled, then stopped and blinked, staring at him.

"Wait, what? Adjust? You felt that?" He asked. Haruke stiffened.

"Uh-"

"You FELT him slap you?" Miwa demanded and there was an unmistakable glint in her eyes that definitely told Haruke he wished he couldn't feel a thing now, but he held up his hands quickly in defense.

"Wait, wait! Kick my ass later, we need to find Mitsuru! Oh, and get back to Kaoru."

"Kaoru?" The twins asked in confused unison. Haruke sweat dropped.

"Well…"

****

**A/N: So sorry this took forever to write, gahhh. xP I lost ideas for a bit there and idk, I feel like this is dragging out, but don't worry! I'm intent on finishing it perfectly as I have some plans that I WILL be sticking by for this story! I'm very fond of all the characters :D! Speaking of characters, I highly suggest that you guys check out my friend's fic: **_**The Chronicles of Kuromura**_**, creator of the Kuromura family (of course xD) Her penname is Arrrbie! It's a really great fic, btw :D! Well, thank you very much for reading, hope the characters are in check, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!**


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